The Sparkle Box was written by Jill Hardie and Illustrated by Christine Kornacki. The Sparkle Box is a breath of fresh air to the world of children’s books. The author teaches valuable lessons without the reader feeling like they’re in school. The illustrations are delightful and make the reader feel the thrill of old fashioned Christmases long ago. I feel this book is destined to be a classic!
A little boy, Sam, is excited about the Christmas season. He asks his mom about a certain sparkly box he notices on their mantle. During the season, he and his family participate in different activities that Sam looks forward to with delight. Various acts of kindness are done by the family and Sam is learning about life and how not everyone has the same things. Sam can hardly wait to open the sparkle box. When Christmas morning finally arrives, he is allowed to open it. He is puzzled by the contents; just slips of paper. But on the slips are the various acts of kindness the family members have done. Sam’s mom explains that these are their gifts to Jesus on His birthday.
In the back of the book, the author has included a sparkle box to assemble. Or, the reader may create their own special sparkle box. I can’t think of a better way to teach the love Jesus tells us show to our brothers and sisters than to share this book with a child. I plan on doing just that this year and start a Sparkle Box tradition in someone else’s house, too.