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Little Angel's Journey is a sweet book meant to be shared in celebration of a child's birthday. It was written by Dzvinka Hayda who created this version of the traditional birthday story told in Waldorf schools throughout the world.
The book begins with Little Angel who plays with her golden ball in Heaven. While chasing the ball, the angel peers down over the clouds and spots the Earth below. This intrigues the Little Angel who seeks an explanation from Great Angel. The seed is planted. Little Angel grows ever more interested in the Earth and sees a loving couple who needs a baby and is told by Great Angel that soon the time will come.
Little Angel waits through three seasons (autumn, winter, and spring) and it is finally time! Great angel takes Little Angel by the hand and they walk to the Twinkling Stars, who gift Little Angel with wonder. Then they walk to Radiant Sun who gifts Little Angel with love, and finally to Silvery Moon who gifts Little Angel with kindness.
At last, Great Angel wraps Little Angel in a soft, celestial blanket and cradles the small one in her arms as they slide down the Rainbow Bridge. Little Angels falls asleep to the beautiful sounds of lullabies and awakens as a tiny baby in the arms of his/her new mother and father (the same couple Little Angel had spotted before). The name is bestowed on Little Angel (fill in your child's name).
Great Angel returns to Heaven and hangs Little Angel's wings on Silvery Moon to await her return one day...
What a sweet book this is! Lovely for birthday's and welcoming new siblings.
The illustrations are dreamy and yet focused. It received a Moonbeam Award and is very much deserved. The price is a bit high even though it is a lovely hardcover book, (but it seems that many Waldorf books are often priced higher as they tend not to be mass produced). The book is very well put together and the illustrations are really gorgeous. It has a very soothing feel to it and I can see it being well loved as a traditional book shared every year on that special birthday. Definitely a keeper!
it sounds like such a beautiful book - and so timely too that I should see this post - I'm reluctantly reaching the conclusion that we can't send our children to a Waldorf school, but one of the things that I was really sad about was that they wouldn't get to experience this birthday celebration that I'd heard so much about - with the help of this book, and the guidance from your post, I'm now more optimistic that I can re-create the magic, at least a bit in our own home. thank you so much
ReplyDeleteJulie - I'm so happy to get your comment! Trust me, there is way more magic in what you share with your children in your loving home than even in the finest waldorf school! Traditions and festivals can be infused into them more soundly through your spirit and nurturing that environment in their little beings. Even if our kids go away to school, it is up to us as parents to give them traditions and breathe life into our festivals.
ReplyDeleteI know Waldorf schools are really wonderful and I am not knocking them at all, but we all have different circumstances - some homeschooling in the waldorf tradition, some doing an ecclectic kind of thing with some waldorf on the side and some even sending their kids to public school and supplementing with waldorf in other ways, so please don't be hard on yourself or assume that your children can't get what they need through you and your traditions. Your home is where the heart of your children reside and I really feel that the home environment actually more genuinely incorporates what Steiner intended when he set up the first waldorf school. He created it to resemble a home environment. Homeschooling wasn't legal in Germany when he set it up, or I suspect he might have ideally recommended that, based on my understanding of the spirit of waldorf education. I often wonder what he would say about it...but your birthday traditions will be amazing! Some people do the special birthday crowns (made with felt), some do the candle rings, and some make lovely photo books that you can add to as your children grow which tell the story of their birth and life up to this b-day year. Have fun and hth a bit! Thank you for your comment and keep in touch! Blessings, Jen