Knitting Nell and quilt progress

Knitting Nell by Julie Jersild Roth is a picture book I read to my students this week. Even if you are not a knitter, you would probably enjoy this story. It is not the first time that I have read it, but this week it made me wish that I could knit my own sweater. Upon further thought, maybe I just want a hand knit sweater...cause I am not sure I would have the patience to knit such a big project, and it would be foolhardy to think it would be a good project to start with if I actually want to learn how to knit. My one sister crochets various things, including bags and Christmas ornaments. My other sister does knit hats, scarves, and socks. Maybe if I ask her...

My quilt progress is going fairly well. I am over half done quilting my quilt with 242 completed blocks out of 480. Hopefully I will get some more done this evening, and though I am glad with the result so far, I do NOT plan to make hand quilting a regular habit.

My Life in France

My Life in France by Julia Child was a book I decided I wanted to read after watching the movie Julie and Julia. Of course, I had heard of Julia Child but didn't know much about her except what I had seen in the movie. The book tells in detail Julia's passion for cooking and the country of France. If you like all things French or you are a cook, then you would like this book. Since I don't know French, I was sometimes distracted by the use of French words. When I finished the book, I wondered what this world would be like if everyone has a passion for something, and if so, why it isn't more obvious. It also made me curious about her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I am on a waiting list for it at the library, but when I get the book, I guess I will probably try to find at least one recipe that I can try. Has anyone read this book or used her cookbook?

The Story of Christmas

The Story of Christmas, retold by Gwen Ellis and Steve Smallman is a book that tells the story of Christmas for children. The story is divided into 9 short segments starting with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and ending with Jesus, Mary and Joseph leaving Egypt to return to Nazareth. Each story part is brief (2 pages) and at the beginning of each story it references where in the Bible that particular part is taken from. It would be best for children ages 4-8, though older children might enjoy it as well.

I enjoyed this book, and thought that the story kept to the original Bible story. This would be a great book to use for a devotional time with children or in a Sunday School class. At the end of each story, there is a author's comment or question related to the story that could be a springboard for a conversation. The illustrations depict the traditional sort of Christmas scenes that a person would expect. The DVD covers part of the Christmas story and goes beyond it, but the cartoon figures look like those in the book. This book is a great way to convey the real meaning of Christmas to children.

I reviewed this book as part of Thomas Nelson's book blogger program.