An Honest Review of 'Unwrapping the Greatest Gift' by Ann Voskamp

I'm kind-of a shove-the-square-peg-into-the-round-hole kinda person sometimes.  #MustMakeItFit. (By the way, that quality is really only helpful when you work hard to make your marriage work, or are tenacious about something that needs to work- like a sport, or losing weight, or chores!)

This was our first Christmas season reading from Ann Voskamp's beautifully illustrated book, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. We've read each day's reading.
 I didn't really like it!
 

This isn't like seeing Kirk Cameron's 'Saving Christmas' 'movie', (and I clearly use that term loosely).  I had wanted to like that, but I didn't even have to get half way through when I thought, "WHY did I pay to see this!?"  (Basically, it was a Sunday School lesson.  Not a movie!)  I knew right away that I didn't care for 'Saving Christmas.'  I was a bit more stubborn about trying to like Unwrapping the Greatest Gift.

Now- I don't hate it!  I may use it again!  But it is far from a great children's resource, in my opinion.  I'm writing my review because I would hate to have a parent make a real effort toward devotions, trying to making their home the primary place where faith is nurtured, only to have a poor experience with this particular resource, and to give up entirely.  

I believe I am in the minority in not particularly caring for this book.  And by all means, if this book works for your family, helps you celebrate Christ in Christmas & draws you close to Him, that is exciting!  For me, I had never even heard of a Jesse Tree until recently.  I researched it and found it's a Catholic tradition.  However, my husband and mother-in-law had never heard of it either. 

Last year, on Facebook, two of my dear friends posted a lot about Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift.  Based on these postings I had the impression it was a book for children, (Based on her book for adults, The Greatest Gift), perhaps even quite young children.  Well, I happen to know & believe that great children's books aren't just for children.  So at an after-Christmas sale I bought three:  One for us, and one for each of my brothers, who have small children.  I love family devotions.  I love books.  I love children's books.  I love Jesus coming to earth.  I love traditions.  I was excited to try out this book for Christmas 2015. 

I love the concept of this book, I just don't happen to love it.  The wording is clumsy and not easy to absorb or even read aloud.  (As someone who has read many, many books aloud, this style did not lend itself well to that.)  I would be surprised if young children can even understand much of it, much less absorb it, which is the whole point.  The sentences were complicated and long.  If I tried this book with young children, I would find myself altering it and shortening it greatly, making it almost unrecognizable.  I'm not sure that much of it 'jumped off the page' for my children, who are 12 & 14 years old.  Some parts did for me, when I was the one reading it, and could re-read sentences that were wordy & required me to fully focus and figure out what was being said.  

I like:  "Your eyes were formed to be awed by the art of every wonder-laced snowflake and the carving of every swirl of frost and the sculpting of every cresting snowdrift.  And then to see it- God's own signature in the corner of everything."  As well as plenty of other parts.  But, in my opinion, it is not worded for most children.  (And my children have great comprehension & love to read.  Even so..)

I will say that Unwrapping the Greatest Gift has beautiful illustrations.  It's truly a gorgeous book.

I also like the whole idea of beginning with Creation.  The first time I remember hearing about this concept was the Firm Foundations curriculum by New Tribes Mission, and I thought it was a great idea.  Good Seed Publications puts out an adult book, On the Road to Emmaus, which is the same idea.  I do believe that everything points to Christ and I like reading Old Testament stories with this lens.  I like tracing Jesus' lineage.  I just wish the book were far simpler. 

I liken this book to kind-of putting me back at PCB in Dr. Toews' Poetics class, learning about A-lines & B-lines & meter & form & patterns.  I was a confused freshman in that class and I think it just caught me at the wrong time in my college life. 

Perhaps it's because poems and lyrical-style writing do not resonate with me.  Or at least, not at where I am in my current season of life.  To be clear:  Unwrapping the Greatest Gift is not a poem.  But the wording reminded me of a poem.  It is somewhat abstract.  And flowery.  And sometimes kind-of made-up or added to?? 

"The Son-King Jesus, who laid out the paths for all the stars, chose to fold Himself up small and lie in the space of Mary"  What?  First of all, the term 'Son-King' is used many times in  this book, but when read aloud sounds like 'Sun-King', which my children found odd.  

If you like it- great!  Just don't feel trapped and like you should like something, just because it seems like all of Christendom does.  I've seen several people recommend, instead of Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, using Sally Lloyd-Jones's Jesus Story Book Bible instead, even though it is not specifically an Advent themed book.  The writing, according to others, is better suited for children.