The First Christmas Night by Keith Christopher is a gentle retelling of the Christmas story for preschoolers. It's written using some of the language of Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I think is very sweet. It's a cozy, cuddle-up-on-the-couch-with-your-three-year-old book. Anna, my three-year-old looks at it regularly. "Read that book to me, Mom!"
From the press release:
The First Christmas Night is a beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus on that joyous night in Bethlehem so long ago. The poem begins with the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and winds though Christ’s birth, the angels’ appearance to the shepherds, and the visit by the Wise Men. The simple, yet elegant, verses will appeal to little ones and are accompanied by the rich acrylic illustrations of Laura Jacques.
’Twas the very first Christmas when all through the town
not a creature was stirring—there was not a sound.
The moon shining bright in the heavens so high
gave the look of midday to the Bethlehem sky.
The animals were nestled in warm, cozy places
with looks of contentment on each of their faces.
My only complaint with this beautifully-illustrated book is that the wise men appear as late-night visitors. Our family, however, believes that the wise men came later, probably when Jesus was two-years-old or so. But, it's not a deal-breaker for us, instead, it's a teachable moment. Afterall, if you want a perfectly true account of the nativity, you look in the Bible, not a storybook. But, as nativity storybooks go, The First Christmas Night is a sweet addition to our library. We've read it many times, and I'm sure we'll read it many more.
Would you like to win a copy? Please enter below. The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents, and the winner must claim their prize within three days or another winner will be randomly selected.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Looks like a great book! Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great book!
ReplyDeleteLooks fun.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas children's book....hard to say! I really love The Jesus Storybook Bible and the way it describes Jesus' birth. We like to go back to that book year after year!
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas children's book is probably 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite is Away in a Manger
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! I love the nativity story--will read it from any book. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity. Love your blog! One of my favorite Chirstmas stories is called Voices of Christmas by Nikki Grimes.
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