Easter Stories - A FlyBy Promotions Book Review and Giveaway

With Easter soon upon us, it comes early this year, I have really been enjoying this unusual collection of stories.  Easter Stories is a compilation of short stories that guide our hearts and minds to the true intention of the celebration of Easter.  It is not a time of bunnies and eggs, frilly hats and fancy dresses.  Easter is a somber time of reflection and reverence.  This 27 story anthology is a varied assortment of classic literature as well as folk tales from authors like Ludwig von Gerdtell, Leo Tolstoy, C. S. Lewis, and The Brothers Grimm.  Through this exceptional publication we are transported to various times and places and instantly reminded of just why it is we celebrate Easter within the Christian community.  We are also reassured of the undying love of Christ.

I have been enjoying these stories all by myself during my quiet reading time each morning.  However, I can see this collection getting dogeared over the years from much use within my family.  Though the intent is to illuminate the true meaning of Easter, this collection of tales is easily applicable to other times in life, especially within our homeschool.  I find relevance to history in the story of How Donkeys Got the Spirit of Contradiction where a pastor gathers his congregation together on a Christmas Day during World War II to share with them a story about Jesus' life in order to give them strength and courage as they worked in an underground railroad in Nazi-occupied France saving refugees and lived a life of great fear day in and day out.  My children are young now, but I will for sure be sharing this story with them the next time World War II comes around in our history rotation.

The story of The White Lily is the first in the book and one I will be sharing with my three much sooner.  There is no introduction given with this tale, but its message is strong.  A simple act of kindness has tremendous potential for the impact of good.  Here we learn about the importance of being kind and generous and how our actions are directly representative of the love of Christ.  One thing does lead to another, and the love of Christ surely shines on well after the gift of life was given. 

Easter Stories is a sturdy paperback book with strong pages that hold a nice size font for comfortable reading.  Each story is preceded by a beautiful, black and white illustration that gives a small indication to what we might find in the next group of pages.  All stories are timeless tales that either teach of the love of Christ or speak specifically to the Easter season.  These are wonderful to read aloud as a family, as a couple, on your own, or even to incorporate into a school lesson or integrate into an object lesson for home or church.  Some stories, like The Atonement, are just a few pages long allowing for a quick reading and discussion.  Others, like Saint Veronica's Kerchief, are longer requiring more than one reading session to complete, especially if reading as a family or part of a school unit.

Whether it be a lesson of the infinite sacrifice of Christ on the cross told in Robin Readbreast, or the example of taking on the punishment of those we love in The Atonement, Easter Stories is a valuable collection of great literary work and is worthy of the space it will hold on my bookshelf.  I look forward to sharing these stories with my children and grandchildren for years to come.  Stories are a simple way to share the love and sacrifice of Christ as well as provide launching points for valuable discussions in our life as Christians as well as moral issues we will face throughout life.  Reading is by far my most favorite way to worship, share, learn, educate and grow.  I am thrilled to have such a worthy collection in my possession.  Maybe you'd like to own a copy as well.

I did mention a giveaway, right?

Please leave a comment below sharing your most honored Easter tradition or your most treasured Easter memory for a chance to win your own copy of Easter Stories.  

The deadline for entry is March 30th.

Find out more here.

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Disclosure:

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”