The World Waits

There are many wonderful children's picture books about Christmas, but few about the season of Advent. In The World Waits, Elizabeth Pham explores this period of anticipation through the eyes of an anthropomorphic Earth experiencing the progression of human history and its longing for a Messiah.

We see the world first plunged in the darkness of pre-Christian times. Then we see the world uplifted by the coming of Christ (the world sees a star!). Then we see the world cycle through the post-Christian era, when Christ seems perhaps more elusive and mysterious than ever (the star left almost as quickly as it came). But then, with the conclusion of the book, we see that the world has not given up hope -- the world still waits. We wait for Jesus' coming at Christmas each year, we wait for His coming in the Blessed Sacrament during Mass, we wait for His coming at the end of time, and we wait for His coming into our hearts in all seasons and situations.

Jen Olson's illustrations beautifully evoke this sense of joyful anticipation. With picture references from Noah's Ark to the Star of Bethlehem to the tabernacle on the altar, we are reminded of God's hand in all of history, guiding us through the darkness and on toward the light.