The Sparkle Box Children's Book Prompts Viral Movement to Counter the Commercialism of Christmas
The award-winning children's book The Sparkle Box: A Gift With the Power to Change Christmas has been released online for free by Worthy Publishing in response to thousands of readers of all ages who are joining together to create a movement to launch a simple tradition called The Sparkle Box. Participants say the tradition combats commercialism and depression during this notoriously stressful time of year.
NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The award-winning children's book, The Sparkle Box: A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas, has sparked a viral movement over social media to put the focus on the true meaning of Christmas with a simple Christmas tradition called The Sparkle Box. In a show of support, Worthy Publishing, the book's publisher, has done something unprecedented in the traditional world of children's book publishing: it put a complete version of The Sparkle Box online for free through December 31, 2018.
The movement is inspired by a tradition called The Sparkle Box that is revealed at the end of the book. What The Sparkle Box contains catches the main character, and readers, by surprise. Unlike traditions pointing to the North Pole, The Sparkle Box points to the origin of Christmas: a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the message he taught to care for those in need.
The Sparkle Box tradition requires the participant to give a gift to someone in need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, clean water or kindness. They write down the gift given and place it in the box. On Christmas morning, they remember Jesus by reading out loud The Sparkle Box gift given in honor of his birthday.
While The Sparkle Box tradition strikes a chord with Christians, author Jill Hardie believes the tradition is a powerful way to add meaning to Christmas, regardless of religious beliefs. "Studies consistently show that Christmas is a time of stress, loneliness and depression for many of the 90% of Americans who celebrate Christmas," said Hardie.
"The Sparkle Box tradition gives us a way to experience more peace and joy in the season, combating commercialism and fostering connectedness. It's a way to remember the teachings of Jesus, which, whether or not you are Christian, are quite beautiful. One of his core messages was we have the power to be a light in the world by helping those in need."
Participants in The Sparkle Box movement are rallying around a social media challenge to take and share #TheSparkleBoxChallenge: read the book online for free, share it, and do the tradition.
Hardie says the movement was inspired by thousands of readers who have shared that The Sparkle Box has become a favorite Christmas tradition and source of joy in their homes, community centers, churches and schools.
Readers who would like to take part in #TheSparkleBoxChallenge or learn more about The Sparkle Box book and tradition, are invited to visit TheSparkleBox.com where they can read the book for free through December 31, 2018.
The Sparkle Box: A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas was published in hardback in 2012 by Ideals Children's Books, a division of Guideposts. The Sparkle Box was awarded the prestigious Christian Book Award in 2014 by the ECPA. On October 2, 2018, The Sparkle Box was released in paperback by Worthy Publishing. Both the hardback and paperback editions come with a foldable Sparkle Box included in the back of the book. Written by Jill Hardie and illustrated by Christine Kornacki, The Sparkle Box is available at local bookstores and online at Barnes & Noble, Christian Books and Amazon. The free online version is available through December 31, 2018 on TheSparkleBox.com.
SOURCE The Sparkle Box
Share this article