I sent this book to my 7 and 10 year old granddaughters this Christmas. They absolutely loved it. They were so excited to read it every night. I also sent them an Advent Wreath with candles so they could have the full experience of lightening the candles each night before they read the story for that night. I wanted them to be able to have the TRUE meaning of Christmas brought out - they get so much of the secular stuff. My son said it was his favorite gift this year.

Arnold Ytreeide in his new book, Ishtars Odyssey published by Kregel Publications gives us A Storybook for Advent.

From the back cover: Ishtar, it seems you have discovered a star that even yesterday did not exist.

Ishtar, the ten-year-old son of a Persian wise man, will soon join a caravan following that star across the desert. The slightly spoiled prince would just as soon as stay in the predictable comfort and safety of the palace, but slowly he learns that theres much to see, do, and learn in this world that cant be experienced with tutors. Disasters and dangers challenge his courage and confidence, but Ishtar finds strength he never knew he had. He eventually meets Jotham, Bartholomew, and Tabitha as he follows his father and uncles in their search for a newborn king.

Ishtars Odyssey is divided into short chapters meant to be read aloud for each day of Advent. Families will treasure this devotional read and benefit from the advice about creating seasonal traditions, suggestions for sampling Persian foods, and notes on the history behind the story.

Mr. Ytreeide tells us that Advent is a three-fold celebration of the birth of Jesus, His eventual second coming to earth, and His continued presence in our lives here and now. Advent is the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting. The journey of the Magi or The Wise Men has not been written about much, as far as I am aware, so this is a unique book. There is one continued story every day for the full four weeks of Advent. At the end of each story Mr. Ytreeide gives us some thoughts that should focus our minds on the praise and worship that this trip brought about. By telling the story from the point of view of ten-year-old Ishtar we really get the full flavor of the birth of Jesus. I think this is an excellent resource and great fun to read. Well done!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

We have the other 3 in this series and we loved reading them. I was so excited when I saw this new one!

Great Addition to our Jotham's Journey Advent collection. This story was not quite as physically action packed, but more relational. We love to take 2 of the books and read the stories concurrently to see how each story relates to the original. It has become a family tradition over the last 8/9 years.

We loved this as a family. Although two of the sections needed to be lightly edited while reading, it was a sweet read that brought out the meaning of Christmas in such a lovely way. Our children are 2, 4, 6, and 8.