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All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children is a resource unlike any other. Explore the rich traditions surrounding Christ’s birth as you journey through Scripture to understand the story of salvation and discover the meaning behind many of our celebrations during Advent and Christmas.
Highlighting treasured customs from throughout Church history, All about Advent & Christmas features the stories of saints we celebrate throughout December and explains numerous other aspects of Catholic liturgy and teaching. With detailed illustrations to make the liturgical seasons come alive, All about Advent & Christmas will guide readers of all ages closer to the Savior whose birth we look to with joy.
Katherine Bogner is a Catholic school teacher from Central Illinois who is passionate about equipping parents, catechists, and teachers to share the beauty and truth of Christ and His Church with children. She is the author of Through the Year with Jesus and Through the Year with Mary. Visit her website, LookToHimAndBeRadiant.com, for free lesson plans, printables, and other resources for teaching the faith.
Shari Van Vranken is a graphic designer and illustrator with over thirty years of experience. The creative force behind CatholicPaperGoods.com, Shari has illustrated and shared the stories of over three hundred saints. She homesteads and homeschools in rural East Texas with her husband and teenage son.
“Catechetically rich and visually stunning, All About Advent and Christmas is just delightful! What a blessing to have such a thorough resource to use as a family during our favorite liturgical season, allowing us to dive even deeper into the meaning and traditions of these holy seasons. Children and adults alike will uncover new insights, as well as unique prayers and celebrations to incorporate into their liturgical life at home. I’ll be returning to this lovely book every year!”
—Katie Warner
Bestselling Catholic Children’s Author, Creator of FirstFaithTreasury.com
“Take a deep dive into Advent with this all-encompassing guide. Katie breaks down topics in a way that is organized and simple for minds young and old to understand. This book will help prepare your heart for Christmas and should be a staple for every Catholic home. The stunning visuals are an added treat. Just lovely!”
—Lindsay Trezza
Artist and Founder of Just Love Prints
“All About Advent is all about the wonder, mystery, and joy of the gift of Jesus. All About Advent invites children and families on an adventurous ride through salvation history. As they go along the way, encountering the sights and wonders revealed in beautiful illustrations and clear, thorough catechesis, they will come to know deeply the story of God’s own love for each one of us. It will be hard to open this book and not feel a sense of excitement about being Catholic and the coming celebration of the birth of our Lord within the first few pages.”
—Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN
Licensed Child and Adolescent Counselor
“To help your faith come alive, you need to live in tune with the liturgy. Katherine Bogner’s All About Advent helps us to do exactly that by unpacking the deeper meaning of our practices and leading us back to forgotten treasures. You won’t regret picking up this beautifully written and illustrated book for your family.”
—R. Jared Staudt
Director of Content for Exodus 90
“Katherine Bogner has written yet another gorgeous guide to an important part of our Church’s liturgical year. If you want to go beyond the Advent calendar and learn more about the fullness of the season, Katherine makes it so easy with this warm and inviting book.”
—Jenna Hines
Author of The Lazy Liturgical
“All About Advent is small but mighty! Filled with vibrant illustrations and engaging explanations, this book will help converts and cradle Catholics alike better understand, appreciate, and more fully engage in the season of Advent. It’s pretty enough to be a coffee table book and useful enough to be incorporated into a school unit on liturgical seasons—a great resource for individuals, families, and classrooms.”
—Bonnie Engstrom
Author of Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week
“This is not Katie’s first book and I pray it’s not her last! Once again she writes a book that is completely understandable for children but also offers new insights into what, why, and how to properly celebrate Advent. I, a priest, was reminded of or learned for the first time a few things while reading. If you have a child or you want to know more about Advent, I recommend this book to you!”
—Fr. Eric Bolek
St. Mary of Lourdes Parish, Germantown Hills, IL
“With her trademark blend of deep insight and reverent wonder, Katie Bogner joyfully illuminates the path to the manger of Scripture and the manger of our hearts as we await the coming of the Light of the World.”
—Maura Roan McKeegan
Author of the Old and New series and Julia Greeley, Secret Angel to the Poor
“What a fantastic resource for families! The information is comprehensive yet easy to understand, and the artwork is beautiful. This is such a valuable tool to prepare our hearts and minds throughout Advent!”
—Kate Frantz
Founder of Thy Olive Tree and Fiat Self-Publishing Academy
“All About Advent is a great book that shares the history and traditions of the season of Advent with all of God’s children. Miss Bogner touches upon the themes of Advent along with the major figures or saints of the season, which all point us to the Light in the Darkness, the Lamb of God, the Messiah who has come to save us, Our Lord Jesus Christ. As the secular world seems to rush to Christmas for a day, All About Advent will help all God’s children to better understand how we are called to prepare for the coming of the Messiah at Christmas!”
—Fr. Michael Pica
Administrator of Immaculate Conception and St. John XXIII Parishes, Catholic Diocese of Peoria
Samantha Rybarczyk –
I love this book! My kids do too! I especially love the saints during advent section. I was curious if you make a book that displays all the saints throughout the year like that?
Louis –
I don’t know that we have anything that displays saints throughout the year exactly like that, but you might look at Saints Around the World, which is our most popular children’s book on saints.
Nancy Reinhardt –
Great source of information. So happy the Byzantine Catholic Church and Eastern Rites are mentioned. Can’t wait to give this book to my daughter and grandchildren !
Cassidy Blenke –
All About Advent & Christmas, Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children, written by Katherine Bogner and illustrated & designed by Shari Van Vranken is a colorfully illustrated children’s book. This holiday-themed 44-page book encourages interactive exploration of Advent and Christmas through insightful biblical information presented in a relatable fashion for children and their families.
The lively, life-like illustrations create an engaging map of resources as the author weaves important “Words to Know” along with vibrant infographics, quotes, and call-outs that are easy to follow from chapter to chapter. For example, within The Liturgical Year section, the author includes a quote from the Catechism of The Catholic Church to accompany the lesson.
“The Church, in the course of the year, unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from His Incarnation and Nativity through His Ascension, to Pentecost and the expectations of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord. ”
While this beautiful holiday book targets children to strengthen their faith journey and understanding of Advent, I found the readings and insights just as helpful for my continued Catholic education as a devoted convert and parent with four little ones at home. I particularly appreciated the suggestions for how families and friends can come together to celebrate around the Advent wreath, recite holiday prayers, and review key biblical stories, saints, and Christmas traditions as a group.
Each chapter focuses on either a significant topic, saint, or tradition, all with the bottom line of showing us how we can better understand the specialness of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Within each section, there is an educational term, call-out, and beautiful illustration to enhance our knowledge while reminding us how lucky we are to celebrate such a meaningful and rich holiday with our own communities around the world.
The author puts Advent and Christmas into a worldwide context, highlighting ways countries in Latin America celebrate. For example, in countries like Mexico and Guatemala, a festival called Las Posadas (which means “the inns”) begins on December 16 and lasts for nine days. A group of people led by children playing the roles of an angel, Joseph, and Mary travels to different home or church each night.
Quotes and important facts feature Saint Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Nicholas, Saint Lucy, other saints of Advent, and Biblical figures as well. The section “Saints of Advent ” reviews the December feast days and how we can celebrate these holy women and men each day of December.
Portions of the book celebrate “The Light of the World,” showcasing to readers how God uses light to draw us closer to Him. The opening chapter, Light and Darkness, introduces us to the light of Jesus.
“When God created the world, the first thing He did was speak light into being. God made the sun, moon, and stars to illuminate our journey and brighten both our days and nights.”
I highly recommend this book to all families seeking to enlighten their holiday in holy ways this Christmas season!
tnjvanvranken –
I love All about Advent & Christmas. The content is wonderful and the artwork is fabulous. The book is not just a children’s book. I will use it as a “coffee table book” to enjoy with family and friends.