This book is gorgeous. My kids love it. It has a great flow to the story and a whimsical nature between the illustrations and words. It is a great retelling of the birth of Jesus. ( )

This was a prize from the Early Reviewers group. And it may be one of my favorite books I have received. A beautifully written and illustrated poetic story of the night of Christ's birth. Told through the eyes and wonder of his mother, Mary. She marvels at this baby that is her son, God's son, and a gift and miracle for the world. I really enjoyed this book. ( )

I was looking forward to reading this book, and it did not disappoint. Katherine Patterson's prose is beautiful, and the illustrations are as well. I look forward to reading this with my children at Christmastime.

The only reason I would hesistate to give this a full five stars is the way it describes the shame of Mary being found with child before she was married. This is true to the Bible narrative, of course, but it might provoke some questions about the nature of conception from attentive young readers.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Stunning illustrations and a wonderful account of the Nativity of Jesus through the eyes of his mother Mary. This lovely book would make a wonderful gift! It deserves a Caldecott nomination. I received this book through a GoodReads giveaway with the hopes, but not a requirement, of an honest review. ( )

This is a book with beautiful illustrations. The illustrations captivate you to spend time on each page. Many would be beautiful works of art on their own. Paired with the text by Katherine Paterson it is a beautiful book that celebrates the reason for Christmas. I do think this is a book designed for adults to read to their children. Some mentioned more difficult vocabulary, but that is standard for quality children's books. This encourages parent participations and relationship building, plus wonderful conversation to happen when seated with the child you read your book too.

I adore Katherine Paterson's work and her book of essays, which my library has but I can no longer find. If you see any of her books scoop them up quick and treasure them in your home libraries. ( )