By Jostein Gaarder, translated by Elizabeth Rokkan, and illustrated by Rosemary Wells
There are officially 25 days left until Christmas. In the Christian tradition, today marks the beginning of Advent, the period of anticipation and preparation before the birth of Christ on Dec. 25. This book is the perfect addition to any home, and will help your family on the journey towards Christmas, much in the same way Mary and Joseph journeyed to Bethlehem. The Christmas Mystery is a Norwegian tale about a young boy named Joachim who goes with his father to buy an advent calendar on Nov. 30. They find a very old one that looks homemade. The book-seller gives it to them for free, saying, “I think you should have it for nothing. You’ll see, old John had you in mind.”
When Joachim opens up the door to Dec. 1, a piece of paper falls out. On the back of the paper is a story of a little girl named Elisabet who follows a lamb out of the department store, and each day continues her journey following the lamb. The book is divided into 24 chapters, each representing a day of Advent, and would be perfect to read aloud for each day leading up to Christmas. Each chapter is preceded by a jewel-like illustration by Rosemary Wells, and flipping the pages feels like opening up the flap on an Advent calendar.
Discover the story within a story; as Joachim unfolds each day on the Advent calendar, he also reads about Elisabet’s journey through time to Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. Joachim and his parents also become involved in a journey — to discover the identity of John, the man who made the Advent calendar, and the mystery of the real-life Elisabet, who disappeared 40 years ago on Christmas Eve. This Advent season, pick up the The Christmas Mystery for the whole family to enjoy the wonder and mystery of Christmas.
Written by Clara
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