For children and families
Looking for Jesus: A Manna and Mercy Easter Board Book
Calling all fans of ELCA pastor Daniel Erlander’s books and resources: Look no further than Looking for Jesus: A Manna and Mercy Easter Board Book to find an Easter basket gift for the little ones in your life. Brilliant colors have been added to the line art illustrations from Erlander’s Manna and Mercy. Mary C. Lindberg has crafted a delightful story that explores the ways we look for Jesus during Holy Week and Easter. The happy Easter news is that Jesus finds us (Augsburg Fortress, 2021)!
Lift-the-Flap Easter Stories for Young Children
If you’re looking for a children’s book with stories about Holy Week, Easter Day and what happened after, this book has you covered. (With flaps. So many flaps!) Along with stories about the Last Supper, the cross and the empty tomb, this book also includes Jesus on the road to Emmaus, his beachfront breakfast with the disciples and his ascension. With nine stories written by Andrew J. DeYoung and Naomi Joy Krueger, lots of flaps for little fingers and brightly colored illustrations by Megan Higgins, this will be a year-round favorite (Beaming Books, 2021).
All God’s Critters Sing Allelu
Animal noises and Easter “allelu”s abound in pj lyons’ All God’s Critters Sing Allelu, with illustrations by Carol Herring. This is a perfect pick for your toddlers who love animals and reading time with their grown-ups. (Don’t they all love those things?) Read it again and again to chime in with the animals: “Bow-wow, meow, cocka-doodle-doo! Cheep cheep, tweet, tweet, coo-coo-coo! All God’s critters sing allelu!” A bonus feature for early literacy lovers: this book contains every phoneme in the English language, so it helps with reading readiness too (Beaming Books, 2021).
We Rise Higher: Poems and Prayers for Graduates
Just in time for graduation season, spoken word artist and educator Joe Davis offers a collection of poetry for high school graduates. Within its 64 pages, you’ll find poems and prayers for joy and celebration, for praise and affirmation, for heavy emotions, and for growth and new beginnings. (These poems carry hope and inspiration for just about everybody!) We Rise Higher makes for a meaningful, faith-based gift for the seniors in your life (Sparkhouse, 2022).
For adults
The Three-Day Feast: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter
Gail Ramshaw’s book invites you into keeping this feast through her exploration of the ancient liturgies used these three days. She guides readers through the words, songs and rituals used during these days, interspersing poetry, hymns and prayers throughout. Each chapter ends with questions for reflection and discussion, making this entry in the “Worship Matters Worship Studies” suitable for individual study or group use (Augsburg Fortress, 2004).
Praying the Catechism: Revised and Expanded Edition
Martin Luther’s Small Catechism inspired Donald W. Johnson to write this journal for daily prayer and meditation, which was originally published in 1995. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (and the author’s daughter) has revised and expanded this work. Each of its 90 entries includes an excerpt from the catechism, a “Pause and Reflect” section and prayer prompts. Johnson’s hope is that the book will help you “explore your faith, deepen your prayer life and invigorate your relationship with God” (Augsburg Fortress, 2021).
This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter
If the rhythms and revelations of Lenten devotions appeal to you, The Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter will help you continue the daily faith practice of reflecting on the season and deepening faith. (Even if you didn’t make it through all six weeks of the Lenten content, this book is for you too.) Author Paula Gooder has chosen several passages from Acts, Paul’s letters and other post-resurrection texts that invite readers into an Easter season journey that will, in the author’s words, “help you find your own words about the resurrection and our life in Christ” (Augsburg Fortress, 2015).
