Fall Book Giveaway: "A Gift For Matthew" Could Be A Gift for YOU

Today I'm excited to offer a review and giveaway for a very special picture book (about heavenly pictures) recently out from Ancient Faith Publishing:  A Gift for Matthew by Nick Muzekari.

"Reminders of heaven."

"Visual sermons."

"Theology in color."

Icons have been called all these things. Most of us are familiar with the Gospel verses where Jesus says,

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Iconography as God's Word in art is a "window to heaven" that helps us to experience the mystery of God and his truths in the way children do:  through our eyes and hearts.

Sacred images have long played a part in teaching Christians about their faith. In the earliest days, icons of the Church were a means of depicting Gospel events to Christians who may not have been able to read the Gospel themselves.

In A Gift for Matthew, a boy visits a peaceful monastery with his mother.  He meets the monastery cat, and learns from a kind monk, Brother Justin, what actually goes into painting - or "writing" - an icon.

As he helps the monk, Matthew discovers the symbolism behind the thin sheets of gold leaf and the egg tempera paints that are used; how prayer and layers of color are an integral part of icon painting; and that we can accomplish much with a quiet heart and patience.

I learned a lot about iconography from this book, and so will your child!  It's great for any age, but it will become a special treasure for children between the ages of 4-8 who love to draw, sketch, or paint, and for anyone who is drawn to the beauty of holy icons.

Masha Lobastov's warm and rich illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to Nick Muzekari's thoughtful and engaging story.  Kids will love the monastery cat, and enjoy the satisfying ending when Matthew receives a surprise gift from the monk!

To enter my giveaway for this unique book, A Gift For Matthew, please leave a comment at the end of this post by midnight (PST) Friday, October 2, 2015.  A winner will be chosen from a random drawing (I use list randomizer from random.org) on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

Go here to see a digital preview and trailer of A Gift For Matthew.  You can read more about icons and iconography in this article.

In the True Spirit of Christmas, Some Spiritual Book Recommendations For Last-Minute Shopping...

Because of my recent travels, I'm way past due getting out these book recommendations, but hey, if you're a last minute shopper in search of some spiritually edifying gifts, this post is for you!

Does this image of parcels, snow, and Mr. Tumnus' furtive glance as he talks with Lucy Pevensie in the movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, make you think of the angst that often accompanies Christmas shopping?

Thank goodness we're not in a land where it is "always winter but never Christmas". However, in this final countdown towards Christmas, we need to take time to slow down and remember to pray, or we might experience "always December but never Advent".  Christmas Eve will suddenly be here, but we'll be too stressed to even remember what we're celebrating!

And consider, what better time than Christmas to give spiritual books, as presents that can help our loved ones remember His Presence!

Today I'm sharing some nice gift offerings, especially for my Orthodox followers, from Ancient Faith Publishing...I'm always excited to see which review copies from AFP will show up on my front doorstep - they're like new friends who I look forward to meeting. (If you're not familiar with this Orthodox Christian publishing company, go here.)

CHILDREN' BOOKS:

A CHILD'S GUIDE TO THE DIVINE LITURGY

For my Orthodox readers: this little gem is the perfect size to fit in a child's Christmas stocking! Compiled and edited by AFP, this book is beautifully illustrated with mixed media by Megan Gilbert.

A Child's Guide to the Divine Liturgy is just what it's title states: as opposed to an exact "follow-along-with-every-word-in-the-service-booklet", it's a nice little volume that is a perfect "pocket companion" to help guide kids through what the Orthodox Divine Liturgy is all about.  Colorful illustrations showing children in a variety of traditional Orthodox settings (many jurisdictions' traditions, vestments, etc. are represented) are featured on every page - making this book engaging for children from about ages two to ten. Each section of the guide is color coded, so even beginning readers can easily navigate the contents.  The book includes liturgical prayers, explanations and icons of the 12 major Orthodox feast days, a glossary, and more.  A grand guide in a small package! Ordering info and a look inside this book feature here.

FROM GOD TO YOU, The Icon's Journey to Your Heart by John Kosmas Skinas.  

This book is a follow-up to the popular PICTURES OF GOD, which I posted about here.  In his new picture book, Skinas delves into the history and sacred role of icons.  The first page sets the tone of the book beautifully with this quote: "The icon is a place of meeting where you and God can gaze at each other from the two sides of eternity."  The author relates the story of how God sent the first icon ("The Icon Not Made by Hands", also called "The Holy Napkin") and we are introduced to many other icons and traditions that have been handed down throughout our church's history. With scripture references and a "Notice This" feature for every holy image, this book is a wonderful help for children ages 4-10.  Can be ordered here.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS/ADULTS:

THE MYSTERY OF ART, Becoming an Artist in the Image of God by Jonathan Jackson.

If you know a young adult Christian artist who is pursuing music, dance, acting, or painting...please consider this book!

Do you know about Jonathan Jackson?  Besides his career in Hollywood and music, he's an Orthodox Christian (short bio here).

My 25-year-old musician son is devouring this book! He commented, "I really needed to read this right now.  It's speaking to a lot of things that I'm currently dealing with spiritually."

I really wanted to give you my own book review of The Mystery of Art, by Jonathan Jackson, but I couldn't pry my review copy from my son's hands long enough to read it myself!  Instead, I'm sharing the book description from Ancient Faith Publishing's website:

Emmy Award-winning actor and musician Jonathan Jackson explores the profound implications of human creativity in the image of God, along with the process of becoming an artist (of any sort) dedicated to practicing his or her art from the context of a deep relationship with God. The true Christian artist is not necessarily one who treats religious themes, but one who creates through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.
Can be ordered here.

NEARLY ORTHODOX, On Being a Modern Woman in an Ancient Tradition by Angela Doll Carson.

Here's one for the girls (18 and up)!  Not to be missed.

Open this book, and you'll find yourself traveling with Angela along what is for her a new, yet Ancient Road on her journey towards chrismation into the Orthodox Church.

Her style - intentional, yet free flowing, is full of poetic metaphors - she puts you right there with her.  Smack.  In the midst of whatever struggle she is facing, and whatever emotion she is feeling.

In the Introduction she tells us: "The mapmaking of this book, my spiritual geography as it were, depends on those intersections of the past, the present, and the future.  They are intricately woven. They are sometimes congested and confusing."

Not chronologically, Angela's pilgrimage begins "in the middle, the muddy middle" to East from West. The stories she tells intertwine, like her winding journey from Catholicism to Protestantism to Orthodoxy.

We travel with her as she fights "Giants in the Road", and we follow as she leads us "Into the Roar."  She honestly observes and confronts her modern experiences and outlook on life as she sees them in juxtaposition with ancient Eastern Orthodox spirituality.

Along her journey she has passed landmarks that must be confronted: her parents' divorce, her inner punk rocker, and feminism, to name a few.  She begins to encounter and consider the Orthodox Traditions of liturgy, icons, prayer, confession (and some not universally practiced "small t" Orthodox traditions as well), as she travels toward the day of her chrismation, and realizes the road and journey don't stop there.

The appeal of Angela Doll Carlson's book (besides her engaging, poetic writing) is that Angela's intimate and honest questions, struggles, fears, and reflections about herself and her faith make you more aware of your own!

She reminds us that the Ancient Road, "a long lifetime road", though full of struggle, will help lead us to our destination, a true and healthy dependence on God, not ourselves. After all, aren't all of us just "nearly Orthodox", trying to live out our faith?  Ordering info here.

FAMILY DEVOTIONS

THE ANCIENT FAITH PRAYER BOOK, Edited by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou 

This beautiful green prayer book would make a festive Christmas gift; but order a few extra volumes for wedding, baptism, namesday, and birthday gifts! It's small enough to tuck away in a purse.  And I have to mention, besides a collection of some of the most beautiful ancient prayers of the Orthodox Church, this devotional includes some helpful and compassionate prayers for marriage, family life, pregnancy, childbirth, and miscarriage.  You can order it here.

Last but not least, Ancient Faith Publishing has a beautiful selection of Christmas cards, ornaments, icons, jewelry, and more in their CHRISTMAS STORE!  Go here to see their wonderful offerings. Remember, there are 12 Days of Christmas in which to give gifts...December 26 - Epiphany, January 1.

Russian Folktale Art Fit for a Tsar!

The work of Palekh artists must be counted among the true wonders of Russian art. When you look at their creations on black lacquer backgrounds each of them seems to glisten and sparkle with gold, silver and all the colors of the rainbow... 

-Abram Raskin, art scholar and Merited Art Worker of Russia.

I'd love your feedback and comments about these two gorgeous folk tale books (not technically "fairy tale", if you remember from my last post) I brought home from my trip to St. Petersburg. (Remember, a comment will enter you into my May Giveaways!)

Both books are illustrated with artwork from painted Russian lacquer boxes. By the way - I see that you can get used copies of the Russian Fairy Tales book very inexpensively, here from Amazon - for sure a lot cheaper than what you'd pay for one of the lacquer boxes!  This post is full of my own photos from Pushkin's Fairy Tales...

Russian lacquer art developed from the 17th-19th Century Russian icon painting tradition - which sadly came to an end with the collapse of Imperial Russia during the Russian Revolution of 1917 (although thankfully this tradition is being revived by young artists of the 21st Century) . The icon painters, who previously had been employed by supplying not only churches but people's homes with icons, needed a way to make a living.

Since many of the icons had been painted on cypress-wood panels or a papier-mâché base, the artists  began specializing in the craft of making papier-mâché decorative boxes and panels that were lacquered and then hand painted, often with scenes from folk tales.

There are four centers (schools) which practice the art of this Russian craft - both of my fairy tale books show the work of artists from the Palekh School, using the technique of painting in egg-based tempera overlaid with intricate gold leaf highlighting to decorate their miniature lacquer boxes.

 (Artwork by Alexei Orleansky a painter of the Palekh school, from Russian Fairy tales)

In my next few posts I'll be sharing different Russian folktales with you.  Today, I'll be sharing the artwork and stories from Pushkin's Fairy Tales.  Pushkin's tales are quite long, and written in verse (he was more influenced by French fairy tales then Russian folk tales, which were always written in prose).  I bought the book for my son-in-law, because he's especially interested in Russia and its literature.

From "Ruslan and Ludmilla", an epic tale in verse by Pushkin,
published in 1820.

From "The Golden Cockerel"

"The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" was the last folktale in verse by Pushkin, published in 1835.  It's based on a couple of chapters from the short story "Legend of the Arabian Astrologer" from the Tales of Alhambra by Washington Irving!

The only tale of Pushkin's that might interest younger children is "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Champions" (champions could also be translated as "knights").  Does the number seven make you think of any other fairy tale - SNOWWHITE AND THE SEVEN...?

Here is the Princess, in all her glory (and holding the "Pippin" apple), with the seven brother knights -  "champions...ruddy, bushy-whiskered men" (they're not dwarfs in this version, and they live in a mansion in the forest, as opposed to a cottage).

The Princess and her seven champions

She runs away from her step-mother, the Queen, and finds the knights' forest mansion.  The seven brothers love her, but she tells them she cannot marry any of them because "another still is dearest. I must his forever be; Elisey, the prince, is he."

This prince eventually comes looking for her - asking the Sun and Moon to help him find his soon-to-be-wife.  Little does her fiance know that she has been approached by an old woman and given an apple that was poisoned.  It is the Wind who finally tells him of her glass coffin and where to find it... 

From the coffin she is creeping; Ah, for joy they both are weeping!  

Now he lifts the maid away Out of darkness into day 

And the two are homeward faring, Happy, friendly talk are sharing.

Quickly round the tidings ring, 'Saved - the daughter of the king!'

One other Pushkin tale in this book that I'll mention is "Tale of Tsar Sultan".  It's been published as a picture book on its own with illustrations by one of my favorite present-day Russian artists,  Gennady Spirin.  You can see his version here.

I hope you're enjoying all this truly remarkable Russian-lacquer-box-fairy-tale-artwork!  More coming in my next post...and remember to leave a comment, if you want to be entered in my May Giveaways (it's Matryoshka Madness!)