FICTION

This First Christmas Night

by Laura GODWIN
illus. by William Low. 32p. Feiwel & Friends. Sept. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781250081025.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—"See this small gray donkey, this long dusty road, this promising star," the story begins, as Joseph guides Mary on toward Bethlehem. The spare poetry of this book lovingly captures details of Christ's birth, like the smell of hay, the sounds of the animals inside the manger, and Mary's contented sigh as she holds her son in her arms. Then time stands still as viewers see the large, sweet face of "this tiny baby boy" being adored by visitors in the silence. As the picture pans out onto the rural landscape of the first Christmas night, the scene conveys an overarching sense of peace. Low's gorgeous use of dark colors serves to highlight the luminous glow of the angels, stars, and baby Jesus, setting the ideal mood for this lyrical meditation on the Christmas story.
VERDICT Wonderful for bedtime and lapsit storytimes, this book is a gentle retelling of the Nativity for very young readers who are learning about Jesus for the first time.
Reviewed by Rita Law, Los Angeles Public Library
Godwin's direct-address text pulls listeners into this super-simple yet lyrical retelling of the Nativity story: "See this small gray donkey, / this long, dusty road, / this promising star...Hear these angels singing. / Welcome this tiny baby boy." Illustrations perfectly match the text, evoking the humble setting yet also reinforcing the sense of reverence and import. Despite some liberties taken with the standard biblical sequence of events (i.e., the Wise Men arriving on the night Jesus is born), this is a moving and memorable Christmas story. martha v. parravano
Direct-address text pulls listeners into this super-simple yet lyrical retelling of the Nativity story: "See this small gray donkey, / this long, dusty road, / this promising star...Hear these angels singing. / Welcome this tiny baby boy." Illustrations perfectly match the text, evoking the humble setting yet also reinforcing the sense of reverence and import. A moving and memorable Christmas story.
 , Oct 01, 2016

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