NCLA Review: In this beautiful, lyrical picture book, the animals of the earth await the birth of Baby Jesus. The feeling of anticipation grows as each page takes readers to a different location—forest, ocean, desert, grasslands. Lions roar the good news; horses drum it into the ground; insects chirp it. All the animals follow the star to the manger, and we see the wide-eyed menagerie peeking into the manger as they announce, “The One who made us has come to live with us.” This peaceful, gentle story and the vivid paintings that accompany it will be best appreciated by children ages 3-6. The book could be used as a cozy read-aloud or a jumping-off point for other Advent activities. Rating: 4 —AMG ( )

gives me goosebumps to read. ( )