A NEW CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOK

The Candle and the Evergreen

A heartwarming Christmas tale by Dr. Steve Turley, illustrated by Elise Cochran, to read with the little ones you love and share the true meaning of Christmas.

The Candle and the Evergreen cover

The Story

One snowy Christmas Eve,
two questions, one answer

As snow falls on a quiet farmhouse, young Eli wonders why his family sets a candle in the window and brings an evergreen into the house. Grandpa Silas leads him into the moonlit woods, and through the evergreen, the ornaments, and Grandma Ruth's old brass candlestick, Eli discovers how the Light came down to us at Bethlehem, and how we carry that Light to others.

“We reach upward because
Love first came down.”

A Family Tradition

A book to read every Christmas Eve

Some books are read once. This one is meant to be read together, year after year, until the words feel like home.

Read it together

Curl up with your young reader each Christmas and let the story open the door to wonder, questions, and conversation.

A keepsake to pass down

A beautifully illustrated hardcover made for gifting and for handing down, just like the candlestick in the story.

The true meaning of Christmas

Gently teach children the timeless truth: the King came down to a stable to find us, and His Light is ours to share.

From the Author

A message from Dr. Steve Turley

Hear the heart behind this book and why he wrote it for the children and families he loves.

Meet the Illustrator

Elise Cochran

Elise Ann Cochran is a painter and illustrator in Pennsylvania with a BFA in Art from Covenant College. Every glow of candlelight in this book was drawn and painted by hand by Elise Cochran. Her warm watercolor artwork brings Eli's Christmas Eve to life and invites young readers right into the story. Watch her at work as the pages take shape.

OFFICIAL RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 10

Let the Light shine in your home this Christmas

Join the waitlist for a release-day reminder and free coloring sheets your kids can enjoy right away.

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