Laura Alary has a gift for weaving theology, poetry and wonder into stories that speak to both children and adults. In this book, she invites readers to see the world and faith with fresh eyes with the theme of darkness. Darkness often is portrayed like something to fear or avoid. However Alary turns that assumption upside down through her gentle storytelling. The illustrations are also so engaging. She reveals the dark as a place of growth, rest and transformation and a necessary part of creation’s rhythm. “The dark is for becoming.” This is one of my favourite lines in the book. This is a story that helps readers notice the good things that happen in the hidden, unseen places. Things like seeds sprouting beneath the soil.

I love how this story resonates of Advent, that time in the church calendar where we wait in the dark for light to come, when hope is still  hidden but alive. This book would make a beautiful addition to Advent practices as reading for families or congregations. It would spark great conversations about waiting, wondering and the beauty of the not yet.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book to share with your families!