One of our favorite Lenten traditions is reading the book Benjamin’s Box.   While reading the book, we use a set of plastic eggs called Resurrection Eggs.   Some of my blog and website visitors have asked me to write more information about these items and how they can incorporate them into their Lenten observances.

Benjamin’s Box is a Zonderkidz book written by Melody Carlson and illustrated by Jack Stockman.  The story is built around a young boy named Benjamin who lives in Palestine during Jesus' life. Specifically, the story takes place during the last week of Jesus' life. Benjamin has a special box given to him by his grandfather, where he keeps his treasures.  In the beginning of the story, it only contains a piece of straw.  His grandfather told Benjamin that the straw came from the bed of a baby who would grow up to be a king.  As Benjamin proceeds through the week, he picks up little treasures to add to the box,  like a broken cup that was used at a very important meal and a gambling stone used to determine what soldier would get to keep Jesus’ clothes. At the end of the week, he has a box full of happy, sad, bittersweet and joyful memories.

My children love the story because it is told from the perspective of a child about their age.  But we have enhanced it even further by using Resurrection Eggs while reading.

Resurrection Eggs are a set of 12 plastic eggs that open to various little symbolic items that match many of the treasures that Benjamin collects during the story.  Each time we read the story, one of my children get to pick an egg and open it to find that day's treasure.  For example, when we read about Jesus' riding into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, my children find a tiny plastic donkey inside the accompanying egg. Each egg is a different color and they are all stored in a plastic egg carton.  The inside cover of the egg carton includes a key listing each egg and its contents.

I highly recommend these two items.  The eggs provide a "hands-on" way for children to remember the important events of the week.  The book gently describes the events of the week without frightening young children, yet the story has enough depth to interest older children, too. 

You can find Resurrection Eggs at FamilyChristian.com.