God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren: A Review

I have to admit--I am a sucker for children's books.  I don't usually buy books because I can borrow them from our library, but children's books are the exception--we have a ton of them.  So I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review the newest addition to the God Gave Us series by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, God Gave Us Easter.

God Gave Us Easter opens with Little Cub and her father dyeing Easter eggs and talking about Easter.  Papa Bear explains that Easter is a part of God's plan for each of us, and that ultimately, Easter is about God's love for us.  Those who are familiar with Bergren's books about the curious Little Cub and her family will recognize the familiar rhythm of her stories, and delight in Bryant's gorgeous illustrations.

It seems like most children's books about Easter fall into one of two categories: books that talk about bunnies and eggs and candy, or books that merely re-tell the story of Christ's passion (along with sometimes creepy pictures--yikes), without really explaining the why of the story.  God Gave Us Easter, without re-telling the story, successfully shows the scope of God's plan of salvation in words and with examples that even the youngest listeners can understand.

Papa Bear explains that God, not the Easter Bunny, gave us Easter, that eggs are a symbol of new life, that death could not trap God's son, that out of death comes life, that because of Jesus, God forgives us when we make bad choices.  Papa Bear talks about forgiveness and redemption, about the flood and how God's children were disobedient, so God needed to find a way to stay connected to his children once and for all.  And that's why God gave us Easter.

It is so refreshing and lovely to find a book that artfully and naturally flows into a conversation between parent and child about our need for a savior and God's love for us.  I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any parent who longs to share the true joy of Easter with their children.

For more information, or to read an excerpt, click here.
For a FREE printable coloring page, click here.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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