BUNNY FINDS EASTER: Five IDEAS to Point Little Ones to JESUS at Easter

Last week Bunny (the sweet protagonist from Bunny Finds Easter) and I were invited to our first 2023 Easter Egg Hunt! On Palm Sunday, I’ll be reading Bunny’s story at this event that typically attracts several hundred people. Do you know what that means? It means it’s time to take out my Bunny-inspired Easter bonnet! It also means it’s time to share some ideas for how we as parents, teachers and the church can help our littlest ones understand what Easter is all about.

In Bunny Finds Easter (Zonderkidz, 2022), Bunny is on a quest to find out if Easter is all about chocolate eggs and jelly beans or if it might just be about a little bit more? As the story unfolds, Bunny encounters many of the fun traditions surrounding Easter but it’s not until she arrives and church and they sing an Easter song that she realizes JESUS is the reason we celebrate Easter. Indeed, amidst all the fun of jelly beans and Easter bunnies, it can be hard for little ones to understand that Easter is about Jesus. With that in mind, here are…

Five Fun Ideas to Point Little Ones to JESUS at Easter

Read some faith-filled Easter board books (and picture books too!) With simple text and engaging illustrations an Easter-themed board book that touches on the real meaning of Easter is a cozy, fun way to spark conversation with little ones that Easter is about Jesus and His great love for us – a love shown through the atoning grace of the cross, the joy of His resurrection, and the gift of new life we have in Him.  

Do some Easter baking. Little ones love baking and eating sweet treats. That’s why Bunny nibbles hot cross buns in Bunny Finds Easter.  According to tradition, hot cross buns were first baked by monks in the 12th century with a cross marked in the dough to commemorate Good Friday. They are relatively easy to make and a delicious reminder of Jesus and the cross. Resurrection rolls are another fun and meaningful baking option that can be used to point little ones to Jesus at Easter. You can find many recipes online for baking and enjoying either or both of these baked items with your little one.

Use jelly beans to point to Jesus.  As you and your little ones nibble Easter jelly beans, let them serve as a sweet reminder of Jesus’s love for them and the world. Before sampling each color, think about how it might remind us of Jesus.  For example, yellow can remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Green can remind us of the new life we have in Him.  Purple, the color of royalty, can remind us that He is our loving King. Red can remind us that he died and rose again for us. And so on.

Include Jesus in the Easter basket.  Fill your children’s Easter baskets with colorful, engaging items that remind them of Jesus. Consider having a faith-based Easter board book serve as the centerpiece. Round it out with small items such as candies, stickers, and other little toys etc. that are in some way connected to Jesus and Easter.  Examples: a little lamb (we are His sheep), a glow-in-the-dark cross, chocolate hearts (because Jesus loves us), little chicks and bunnies (to represent new life in Christ) etc.

 

Sing some “Jesus loves you!” songs. Songs learned, even as young as toddler and preschool age, can have a lasting faith impact on the human soul. Just think of the songs you remember from your childhood and beyond.  Do any of them speak of Jesus? If so, they can be a special way to introduce Jesus to your little ones at Easter and throughout the year. Some Easter-y favorites that we love at our house (that are good for little ones too) include: He Lives, Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and more.

OTHER IDEAS for using Bunny Finds Easter specifically:

Have a Bunny Finds Easter Book Walk. This fun intergenerational activity has the feel of an Easter Egg Hunt – and can even include jelly beans and other goodies – but the “hunt” is walking along a trail (outside or inside) to discover progressive spreads of the story BUNNY FINDS EASTER mounted on boards culminating in a craft or activity table at the end of the walk. Get all the details plus the FREE downloadable instruction sheet here.

Get FREE downloadable BUNNY FINDS EASTER activity kit designed especially for littlest ones. The six-page kit includes:

• Decorate the Easter Egg
• Help Bunny Find Her Way to Church on Easter Morning
• How Many Eggs Can You Find?
• Draw More Easter Lilies for Bunny
• Send an Easter Card to Someone You Love ( foldable printable card)

Interested in ordering Bunny Finds Easter? It’s available wherever books are sold. Happy Monday, all!

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MONDAY FUN: Listen to the HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD StoryJumpers and Collide Kids Podcast Episodes!

One of the joys of having a new book out is getting to do special things like chat on these two family-friendly podcasts. Here’s a little bit about each podcast followed by links for easy listening.

First. it was my pleasure to be interviewed by podcast host Andrew Jackson for his children’s story time program, StoryJumpers, a bi-weekly Christian podcast that features a children’s book read by the author and an interview with the author. The episode which features HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD (Paraclete Press) aired, Friday, December 9th, 2022 over at www.wearethebridge.org a community supported, non-commercial Christian radio station serving Delaware, South Jersey, parts of Maryland and beyond. 

Thank you, Andrew, for being such a great host!  I had a wonderful time. Here’s the link: 

https://www.wearethebridge.org/streaming/podcasts/storyjumpers/episode/happy-birthday-christmas-child-by-laura-sassi/

TIP: Just listen and enjoy, or for an ever richer experience, grab a copy of the book so your little ones can enjoy the pictures as I read. 

Second, on Friday I was the featured guest on the fun and lively Collide Kids Podcast. Per host Christen Clark’s description, “The Collide Kids Podcast is a show for kids and families were fun and faith COLLIDE! We will get to know friendly, interesting people who can teach us something new. Our goal for every episode is to help kids discover they are loved by God!”

Her guests include people from wide variety of professions and I’m honored to have been part of her line-up. Christen Clark is also fun and funny which makes for a great podcast vibe!

Here’s the link to the HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHLD Episode: https://anchor.fm/collidekidspod/episodes/How-to-Share-the-Christmas-Story-w-Laura-Sassi

Happy Monday, all!

SISTER MICHELLE and THE CANDLE: A Special Christmas COUNTING Memory

 

If you have followed my writing journey at all, you know that most of my books have in some way been inspired by my childhood or my children’s childhoods. My newest book, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD, is no exception. Indeed, as I was writing it, all sorts of memories became sparks — including one that I’d like to share today.

In the fall of 1977 eight-year-old me moved with my family from Minnesota to Paris, France where everything was new and different including…school! The school my parents chose was called Marymount International School of Paris. It was a special place. For starters, it was within walking distance from our apartment which meant good exercise for us all. Second, the children who attended were from around the world and I quickly made friends from all over including Norway, Sweden, Pakistan and Scotland.

Here are two pictures from the time. The first shows me and my sister standing outside our apartment, ready for the first day of school. (I’m the taller one.) The second picture was also taken that school year and shows us with our Norwegian friend tromping to Marymount through the snow.

The third special thing about the school was that it had nuns! I had never been to a Catholic school before. The older nuns wore habits with wimples, just like the nuns in The Sound of Music. The younger nuns didn’t wear habits. Instead, they wore simple sweaters or tops in soft, solid colors, pleated skirts and sensible shoes (as my mother called them).

My teacher’s name was Sister Michelle and she was one of the younger nuns. Her classroom was situated on the 1er étage (2nd floor) of an old French maison. It had formerly been a very grand bedroom with tall decorative plaster walls, an elegant marble fireplace, and two sets of original French-door-style windows that overlooked the school’s playground.

Sister Michelle’s desk was directly in front of those windows and I remember it as being piled with books and papers and other teacher-y things.  We students sat at four clusters of desks pressed together to make “tables”. Mine was near the fireplace.  

Here is a picture my dad found of me at my table with Sister Michelle presiding. It might be hard to tell from the picture, but Sister Michelle was no-nonsense, yet kind, and she got me excited about reading and math.

But my favorite memory about her, and the one which was brought vividly to mind as I wrote this newest book, dates to December 1st, 1977. That’s the day she brought in the candle.

We all watched as she set it on a little table next to her desk. The candle was long and tapered with numbers from 1 (at the top)  to 25 (at the base) imprinted down the side. Sister Michelle then explained that the Christmas season was special and that as part of advent, we would be taking a few moments each morning to light the candle, read a short Christmas passage, say a prayer, and then blow out the the candle. Pointing to the numbers, she explained that each day we’d let the candle burn until that day’s number melted.

I had never heard of such an activity, but it soon became my favorite part of the day. That’s because Sister Michelle wasn’t the one to light the candle, read the passage, and pray. NO! We the kids did that and from my eight-year-old perspective that was amazing! She was supervising from close by, but still! I’d never lit a candle before or read a Bible verse aloud to my class.  

Looking back, I realize that those Christmas verses we read along with the candle lighting left a beautiful imprint on my heart as to what Christmas is really all about – the birth of Christ, the Savior of the World. 

The experience also opened my heart to the richness of digging into God’s word -not just for the 25 days leading up to Christmas, but every day. I have Sister Michelle to thank for that — for instilling in me the importance of pausing daily to read God’s word, to pray, and to let that moment set the course for the day.  

Of course, the little ones I wrote HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD for are too young yet to be reading and pondering scripture, but they can still enjoy slowing down to count and point to and wonder at the miracle of Christmas as they enjoy my simple recounting of the night Jesus was born.

For years I have been searching, unsuccessfully, for where I might purchase a candle like Sister Michelle had all those years ago. They are very hard to find. In fact, I had pretty much given up hope, but then, my Lexington VA friend, Phyllis, surprised me with this! It turns out Phyllis has been making numbered Christmas candles for years, giving over 50 each year to family and friends. She takes regular-old red candles and green crayon wax that she melts to inscribe the numbers using a thin paint brush. It’s almost exactly like the one Sister Michelle used except that Sister Michelle’s, as I recall, was white. I can’t wait to start lighting it on December 1st.  

How I would love it if Sister Michelle could see this post and know the impact her Christmas candle activity has had. Maybe one of your shares will land in the feed or inbox of someone who knows her. Wouldn’t that be neat? It may be a long shot, but this is the season of miracles, right?  UPDATE: She did! We corresponded. So lovely.

Blessings, all!

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Giving Thanks: BOOK STYLE!

Every year at Thanksgiving, when all the relatives are gathered around the table ready to eat, my husband pulls out one of his favorite books. Printed in 1858 in New York, it’s a worn, but still beautiful old, leather bound copy of Book of Psalms.  As a US historian with a focus on religion in  America, it’s no surprise he treasures it.  He purchased it many years ago in the little “attic sale” corner of my grandmother’s retirement community.  Not only is it a beautiful artifact from the past that reminds us of my grandmother, it also contains familiar and wonderful words that are loved by our family.

That book – and my husband’s joy in sharing it with us each year – reminds me of the richness books add to our lives – shaping us as we grow, helping us through tough times, sparking special memories, offering joy and laughter and more.  With that in mind, maybe it’s time this weekend to give a little thanks – book style!

We’ll be doing this as family – and all ages can participate. And here are a couple that stand out in our family: 

E.B White’s Charlotte’s Web helped my then eight year old daughter process her sadness at her grandmother’s passing.

Amy Krause Rosenthal’s We are thankful for the way COOKIES: Bite-Sized Lessons led to such great conversations about living kindly and to lots of cookie baking!

My son remembers fondly the joy of reading every single Hardy Boys book – several times!  He loved them so much, that just like his daddy, he enjoyed perusing old book shops for old treasures like this 1942 edition of The Clue of the Broken Blade. 

Want to “Give Thanks, BOOK STYLE!” with your family? Here’s how it works:

Gather:  Ahead of time, let your family and friend know that as part of the Thanksgiving festivities, you will be sharing a book that you’ve been thankful for. If possible, they should bring it. 

Share: At a designated time, perhaps after the main course and before you serve up the pumpkin pie, let each person who would like share their book. 

If they need help structuring their thoughts, it might go something like this:

This is name of book and I am thankful for it because ______________.  (Possible reasons could include:  it made me laugh, it reminded me of _________, it taught me that __________, it helped me when I was feeling _________ etc. )

Then, if you want, each person can share a favorite page or passage from the book.

Celebrate: When everyone is done, celebrate the blessings of books with dessert! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Book Birthday to HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS CHILD!

In her memoir A CIRCLE OF QUIET, Madeleine L’Engle writes, “Those of us who write are responsible for the effect of our books… Like it or not, we either add to the darkness… or we light a candle to see by.”  As a writer for children, I take those words to heart and I hope my my newest board book, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD, will do just that.  

Inspired by a favorite Christmas verse from Luke 2:19 that describes Mary’s soul-filling wonder as she pondered the events surrounding the birth of Baby Jesus, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD offers littlest readers and their caregivers a chance to slow down and point and count and marvel on each and every page as they celebrate the birth of the Light of the World.

Here I am sharing that inspiration on my porch this summer:

Learn more about the book on my brand new book page or by heading over to happybirthdaychristmaschild.com. Both spots include easy links for purchasing at a variety of vendors.

Happy birthday, brand new board book!  And happy reading, all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD: Schedule a FREE Author Visit!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS CHILD: A COUNTING NATIVITY BOOK (Paraclete Press) releases October 4, 2022. 

Here’s the description: Count to TEN with Mary and Joseph as they await the birth of Baby Jesus in this sweet rhyming board book for littlest ones. Illustrated by Gabi Murphy with plenty to notice and count on each spread, it’s a charming introduction for littlest ones to the real gift of Christmas – Jesus!

And here’s the book trailer:

Now, in celebration of the book’s release, I have a special offer.

From now through December 24th, 2022, I am offering free 20-minute HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD author visits to the first TEN groups who reach out to me via my contact tab and book a visit. This special visit is ideal for preschools, church ministries, homeschool coops etc. and can be in–person (within 20 minute radius by car) or VIRTUAL.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

For each FREE 20-minute HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD visit I will:

Introduce myself and the story with the help of my mouse puppet.

Engage the children in an interactive reading which includes having them count along and notice fun details on each spread.

Review the message of the story asking “Whose birthday do we celebrate at Christmas?” and close by singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. 

REQUEST:  

The visit is free, but I respectfully request that you purchase a copy the book for your class/church library and that you offer families the opportunity to purchase copies as well. I do not sell my own books, but they are available through the major online vendors as well as your favorite local indie book stores. The publisher also has a great deal on bulk purchases with significant discounts starting orders of 10 or more. To help spread word to families, I can provide an order form for schools/groups to collect and order as a group from the vendor of your choosing. Be sure keep a list of first names for book inscriptions and, as a thank you, I will provide a signed and personalized book plate for each book purchased!

I look forward to spreading Christmas joy in this special way.  

P.S. If you decide to pre-order a copy today, you can head over here to redeem the free activity kit the publisher created to go with the book. It’s chock full of printables and even includes Happy Birthday, Christmas Child party plan!

Book Trailer Premiere on KidLit TV: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD

Happy Christmas in July! I wasn’t familiar with this summery nod to Christmas as a child, but I think it’s a delightful excuse to premiere the book trailer for my new Christmas board book!

Here’s the scoop from Paraclete Press:

Join Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds, sheep, and various stable critters as they celebrate the birthday of a very special baby in this rhyming counting book for little readers and their families. 

Written by bestselling author Laura Sassi and illustrated by Gabi Murphy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD! celebrates the warmth, wonder and excitement of the night Jesus was born. Written in gentle rhyme with bright illustrations and lots of things for little ones to notice and count, it’s sure to be a Christmas favorite. 

Thank you, KidLit TV for hosting the reveal. Now, top up that cup of coffee and head on over for the trailer premiere. I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s the link. Enjoy!  

Interested in pre-ordering copies for Christmas?  Here are details from the publisher about a really terrific PRE-ORDER SPECIAL they are running.  (I’ll be sharing more on this tomorrow.)

Happy Monday, all!

FIVE FUN WAYS TO CELEBRATE the FOURTH of JULY with your LITTLE ONES

Looking for some easy, last minute ideas to add a little extra something to your Fourth of July celebrations? Here’s are five of my picks, perfect for families with little ones. They make me wish either that my kids were younger or that they were older and I had grandkids! LOL. Enjoy!

1. Sing a patriotic song. Choose your favorite, or enjoy this new favorite of mine:  America to Me by YouTube sensation, Jack Hartmann. 

2. Make a patriotic craft. There are, of course, oodles to choose from, but here are three that are festive and easy to create from Courtney at The Chirping Moms: https://thechirpingmoms.com/easy-patriotic-crafts/

3. Have a patriotic snack. Heather over at Glitter on a Dime has the cutest ideas for edible delights for little ones. Here’s a decidedly red-white-and-blue one that makes a festive dessert or snack: https://www.glitteronadime.com/easy-and-delicious-patriotic-parfaits-twinkie-dessert-cups/

4. Read a patriotic story. Here’s a list to get you started: https://3boysandadog.com/books-about-fourth-of-july-for-kids/

5. Fold the American flag the patriotic way. Did you know there’s a proper way to handle our flag? My husband taught me and he taught our kids and ever since, putting up and taking down our flag has been a special family tradition. Here’s a quick tutorial, with two kids named Jack and Sam to get you up to speed.  Your kids will LOVE helping.  

Time for the BUNNY FINDS EASTER Bunny Hop Round up!

Happy Friday, friends! Bunny and I have five fun things to share with you this week. First, if you live in the Bedminster, NJ area, I invite you to join me at Pluckemin Presbyterian’s annual Eggstravaganza taking place this Sunday, April 10th from 11:15 – 1 pm. Here are the details. No registration required. There will be copies of BUNNY FINDS EASTER on hand for purchase. Cash or check only.

Next, here are two interviews you might enjoy. The first is over at Read,Discuss, DO! where I chat with Mindy Baker about the inspiration behind the book, the board book format, book-themed activities and more. The second is a feature article that appeared this week in my town’s TapInto news outlet. This the one to read to get the inside scoop on what the journey to publication in the picture book world has been like (at least for me).

Fourth, I am the guest author today over at StoryJumpers, a bi-weekly Christian podcast that features a children’s book read by the author and an interview with the author. The podcast airs today, April 8th, 2022 over at The Bridge Podcast Network, part of The Bridge, a community supported, non-commercial Christian radio station serving Delaware, South Jersey, parts of Maryland and beyond. Here’s the link to the BUNNY FINDS EASTER episode.

Finally, just in case you missed it, I thought you’d like to see the Easter bonnet I created, with the help of my daughter, to wear to all my visits. It’s getting a lot of smiles because I look so silly, er I mean, beautiful wearing it! It’s just like Bunny’s from the book. What do you think? (This is from one of my zoom visits this Easter season.)

It’s Time for… the BUNNY FINDS EASTER Friday Roundup!

Happy Friday, friends! Bunny and I have four fun things to share with you this week. First, be sure to check out my blog interview with children’s author and host, Mindy Baker, as we chat about the magical role illustrations play in board books – with a focus on a favorite spread from BUNNY FINDS EASTER. Here’s the link: https://mindybakerbooks.com/a-chat-with-laura-sassi-about-her-new-book/

Next, did you know that March 9th was “Get Ready for Easter Day?” I didn’t either, but I learned about it over at one of my favorite blogs, Celebrate Picture Books, which pairs a picture book with a holiday. Each post includes a review of a book and an activity. And for this holiday the book was… BUNNY FINDS EASTER! Here’s the link: https://celebratepicturebooks.com/2022/03/09/march-7-get-ready-for-easter/

Third, in case you missed it yesterday at 12:12 eastern, here is the replay of my Instagram LIVE interview with host Valerie Ellis, creator of Our Everyday Parables, a blog dedicated to encouraging and empowering parents to use everyday moments and kids’ books to teach, connect, listen, and inspire. We had some technical difficulties at the beginning, but they resolved and she explains in the link how you can skip over those bits.

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Finally, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to enter the 25 book giveaway for BUNNY FINDS EASTER which Zonderkidz is hosting over on Goodreads. (And while you are there, please add the book to your to-read list and/or review it, if you you willing.) Thank you! Here’s the giveaway link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/340275-bunny-finds-easter