A Royal Christmas to Remember by Jeanna Young (Book Review)
I have seen “The Princess Parables” series by Jeanna Young and Jacqueline Johnson at various conferences and such, but I’ve only ever glanced at them without reading through a book. When I was given a chance to review A Royal Christmas to Remember, I was more than happy to take a closer look. My 5-year old daughter loves all things princess-related, so I knew she would enjoy it.
The story starts with the five sisters anticipating a beautiful Christmas with their father, the King. Their main focus is decorating the castle, and their only concern is that they might need more space to store all the decorations in the future. They go to bed on Christmas Eve thinking mostly about what they’re hoping to find under the tree in the morning, despite their father’s attempt to remind them of their many blessings and the gift of Jesus.
Everything changes when the princesses are awakened in the middle of the night as their father heads out to fight a group of evil invaders. When dangerous men break into the castle, “their trivial thoughts of presents and Christmas decorations ceased to matter.” The princesses are not harmed, but when they learn that many in the village have been affected, they decide to share out of their abundance and learn the joy of giving to others.
The story was a sweet way to remind my daughter to turn her thoughts outward, especially at Christmas time. She was drawn to the colorful illustrations by Omar Aranda, and I appreciated a book that acknowledges the true meaning of Christmas: celebrating God’s generous gift of His Son.
