The Story of Christmas: From the King James Bible

Illustrations by Pamela Dalton
Chronicle Books (2011)
ISBN 978145210470­6
Reviewed by Zoey Crane (age 7) for Reader Views (12/11)

“The Story of Christmas” is a beautiful story done in watercolor and cut paper about the birth of Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas for children.  The book begins with the angel Gabriel coming to Mary and telling her about the baby who would become a wonderful and caring person to all.

Zoey:

I was very excited to start reading about the birth of Jesus from the very beginning. I liked the story a lot, but some of the words I didn’t understand, like espoused, and had to ask my Nana what they meant. There were so many words that confused me and after a while I just didn’t want to read the book. But my Nana said I had to finish it. So we read it together. The pictures were beautiful, especially the angel’s wings. Herod seemed like an evil man who wanted to pretend he would worship baby Jesus and then sent his soldiers to kill him. He was very jealous that someone would be loved more than him. It really says you shouldn’t be jealous of others because God loves everyone.

Nana:

“The Story of Christmas” was a tough book for Zoey to read by herself, even though she is an advanced reader. I think the same story could have been written in an easier format so that children can understand the real meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Editor’s note: 

The sell sheet that came with the book indicated it's for ages 4 to 8.  Please check the content to see if it's appropriate for your child's age and reading ability.

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure