Product Description

Jesse trees (and later, stained glass windows), used in medieval times tell people Bible stories. Using her skills as a storyteller and her love of the Bible, the author has written an intriguing story about the creation of a modern-day Jesse tree. She weaves evocative retellings of selected Bible stories with a sensitive contemporary story about the transforming power of love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45112 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

From School Library Journal
K Up–This collection of celebrated Bible stories, often read in the days leading up to Christmas, is presented in an engaging and refreshing format. A cantankerous carpenter is distracted from his work of carving a Jesse tree in the local church by a talkative youth who isn't bothered by the man's gruff nature. John is fascinated by the craftsman's task, wanting to learn all about the Jesse tree, a traditional symbol of the Advent season. Mr. Butterfield whittles away at the family tree that traces Jesus's spiritual lineage, adding representative icons corresponding to particular stories to each branch. The curious boy encourages the old gentleman to relate the series of stories leading from the Garden of Eden directly to the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem. Along with the holy family, many well-known Old Testament characters, including Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Ruth, David, and Elijah, appear in the carpenter's narration. The sacred stories are recited in the folksy speech expected of someone like Mr. Butterfield and are skillfully interwoven with the parallel tale of the blossoming friendship between the two unlikely companions. Charming illustrations of the narrator and his young friend, as well as biblical scenes, accompany the text. A spread showing the finished Jesse tree is featured at the beginning and end of the book. McCaughrean explains its origin in an introduction.–Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. In her foreword, McCaughrean explains that a "Jesse tree" is a teaching device named for one of Jesus' ancestors, and the pictures gracing its branches symbolize 24 traditional Advent stories--from Adam and Eve's fall from grace to the Nativity. The author beautifully retells the stories, framing them as installments of an ongoing conversation between a crotchety craftsman who is carving one of the trees and a boy who is curious about what the sculpture represents. The addition of the contemporary scenario isn't really necessary; McCaughrean's renditions of the Bible stories pack a wallop, building a sense of real, complicated lives set against the sweeping backdrop of God's marvelous plan. The computer-created spot artwork is unremarkable, but the sheer power of the words will be enough to capture the imaginations (and invigorate the beliefs) of young readers or listeners. Parochial schools and Christian families may find inspiration here to resurrect the tradition of reading one story per day of the Advent, perhaps with homemade Jesse trees to guide their tellings. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
'McCaughrean could rewrite the shipping forecast and make it sound riveting...' (The Sunday Telegraph)

Customer Reviews

Theologically Sound Yet Simple
"Much of a story? Much of a story? The Bible wasn't written to entertain you, you know!" So says Mr. Butterfield to a young boy who wanders into a church while Mr. Butterfield is at work carving a Jesse Tree in an old door. Mr. Butterfield starts off as a crotchety old carver who wants to be left alone to work, but the young boy persists in having Mr. Butterfield explain the stories and symbolism. In the telling Mr. Butterfield's heart begins to melt and he begins to look forward to that pesky boy showing up each day.

A Jesse Tree is a tree carved with all sorts of symbolic carvings that tell the story of Christ. A ram is carved to represent Isaac and the sacrifice that was provided for Abraham to kill instead of his son Isaac.

A sheaf of corn is carved on the Jesse Tree to symbolize God's faithfulness to Ruth.

Finally at the top of the tree is a star- God's brightest star- Christ is born.

The old man tells the story of each carving represented in an insightful and theologically sound and at the same time simple manner.

This is a terrific read aloud book for bedtime reading. There are great illustrations on every page.

What a great advent book!
This story brings so much to the holiday season. It makes a GREAT advent activity. If you begin the book on the first of December or even a day or two before, you will have gone through the Bible from the Old Testament until the birth of Jesus by the time Christmas Day arrives. There are also art activities available to do with each story presented in the book so that your child can make a Jesse Tree, too. It makes a great gift.

Best advent book we have!
I have several childrens advent books sitting on my shelf, all unused because we were unmotivated to complete them. Not so with The Jesse Tree. The stories are so engaging that my four kids beg me to get started with the daily reading. Even I have to force myself to stop at one and not continue the entire story in one reading! The illustrations are nice too. This book will become an heirloom in our family because we have enjoyed it so much this season, and probably for many years to come.