The First Christmas: An Angel Came to Nazareth

I just picked up my copy of The First Christmas: An Angel Came to Nazareth today at the library.  I didn't realize it was the mini edition (which is also what that link goes to) but am very glad it is.  There is something to be said for all the considerations publishers/writers/illustrators must make when producing a picture book.  Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit books for example, were always meant to be small— perfect for little hands to hold. And while many editions now exist of those stories, the original, small sized ones are still best.

I haven't seen the original edition of The First Christmas but I can tell you that this book is excellent in it's small size!  Not only would it make for a great stocking stuffer, but it's printed in such a way to beg little hands to run over each of the thick, textured pages (thinner than a board book, but thicker than regular pages; like a really sturdy card-stock) which are bright, vibrant and gilded with gold accents.  The story is very basic (animals have to choose one traveller to bear and all want to carry the greatest of all… but a donkey is the one who makes the greatest choice), just an ode to Christmas in a simplistic way but really it's just books like these that add a little special something to holiday celebrations.  Highly recommended.

The Christmas Motherload: Ten "Top 10" Booklists

So I've been working on this post bit by bit, over the last several weeks. I exhausted my library with holds several times (had my own CART next to the holds shelf at one point) and I even visited my family in another city and had my sister get another armload of Christmas books that my own library system didn't carry.  I was also able to make a few book purchases (of stories I was CERTAIN we'd love) for upcoming Christmas gifts. And finally I was happily surprised to randomly find a few YouTube video readings of a couple of these title too! So through it all, I've compiled my very favorites. Maybe only 50% of these were ones I already knew and loved. The other 50% were looked at for the first time by me… gleaned from ideas on message boards and booklists I had seen as well as plenty from rabbit trails from internet searches. What an inundated book genre!!!

Why did I do it?  It's not like I pretend to be the voice of expertise in children's literature; there are dozens of picture book blogs out there and many other well-read folks who can offer counsel on Christmas books too. Frankly these are just my opinions. And my opinions are formed on an appreciation of living, loving and breathing children's books for a dozen years now. I blog about children's books because I have to write about something.  I don't write about my own life and kids anymore, either via blogs or Facebook… it's too much of a temptation for me in a number of ways. And I write for Soul Gardening but that doesn't take care of wanting to share my obsessions and opine about books all the time! So I have this blog… and it's a fix for me. And these lists are basically for my own records really… and to sate my own obsession with categorizing things. This blog is for my children to find someday and remember and smile… and maybe even roll their eyes (with affection I hope). But I digress.

Many Christmas books are just plain not worth your time. And many, many more fall solidly into the "good" category. And on top of that, there is the GREAT category! And even that's full! I couldn't have possibly put it into one Top Ten list; who could?! So I broke it up into TEN different categories of Ten. And even that was hard! This doesn't even include my Advent or Epiphany picks! Anyway, I'm such a nerd; I loved every minute of my 'research'!  Enjoy these opinions of just one mama/biblio-zealot. Know that there are dozens and dozens more EXCELLENT Christmas stories out there and I'm sure I'll be finding new treasures all the time!  I wanted to be a purist to the number 10, so I limited it.  My comments will be brief; I've got 100 books to tell you about and many of you probably know about many of these already! But my very special favorites are in bold.

2014 modifications are in magenta; the year introduced me to new books and 'new-to-me' old ones!  

Best Actual Nativity Stories
  1. The Nativity: Six Glorious Pop-Up Scenes: A very special treat to pull out on Christmas Eve.  Truly a delight for your eyes! If only it were back in print!
  2. Bethlehem: Fiona French's stained glass illustrations to the simple Bible words of the Nativity.
  3. The Story of Christmas: Jane Ray does outstanding, vivid illustrations (love that Mary and Joseph look ethnically believable) and surprise… baby Jesus was breastfed!
  4. The Christmas Story: Here's one for cheapskates! The classic, basic, no-frills-but-still-sweet Golden Book version of the Nativity, illustrated by one of my favorites— Eloise Wilkin.
  5. The Christmas Story: The beautiful, biblical text illustrated by the incomparable Gennady Spirin.
  6. The Story of Christmas: Pamela Dalton takes the words from the King James Bible and masterfully weaves intricate, beautiful paper-cut illustrations into it. My husband calls Dalton's people "hobbits" but I don't fault her for that. I like hobbits! I do however bristle at the 80 year old, balding Joseph in the story. (Mary was a teenager after all; I can handle middle aged Joseph depictions—though I prefer envisioning younger, strapping man… but the great-grandfatherly representation? Not my favorite.) Anyway, if you liked her Brother Sun, Sister Moon, you'll love this. 
  7. The Nativity: Completely scriptural, this is better for slightly older children, or to be used as an actual family reading on the night of Christmas Eve. I love how the wise men show up (accurately) at the Holy Family's HOUSE, rather than stable.
  8. The Nativity: Mary Remembers: What I like best about this is its first person perspective from Mary. This helps to give a fresh insight on some of what happened that blessed night. 
  9. The Christmas Story: This is the very simple Bible story presented again; it gets a spot on this list for the beautiful few, full-page spreads of Christmas night… and the end picture of Jesus who "grew in grace."  I do wish illustrators made the Holy Family a little more Middle Eastern looking but we take what we can get I suppose.
  10. The First Noel: A Christmas Carousel: This isn't exactly a story… it's a novelty book that serves as a stand-alone centerpiece.  The book folds out and can be tied together to form a 3D standing star. Gorgeous paper-cut, pop-ups highlight the five major scenes from the Nativity. 
  11. The Christ Child.  Perfect. I'm so happy to have found this for 50 cents at the thrift store. It is simple, biblical and timeless.  I love it, a new favorite!
(other books I want to check out in this category: The Christmas StoryChristmas in the Barn —the original version, The First Christmas, My Son, My Saviour: The Awesome Wonder of Jesus' Birth)

Best Light Reading or Funny Stories
  1. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree:  My children cheer whenever we open up this book.  Light, amusing and completely satisfying!
  2. The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher:  Much like the Grinch story. Will Christmas be the same without cookie sprinkles?!
  3. Too Many Tamales: Sweet story about a careless child.  Makes me want to have the patience and grace of the mother when dealing with children's mistakes… also makes me want to have a ton of tamales!!!
  4. The Lump of Coal: So clever. This is a hilarious little book that will delight older children especially and the adult reading it with them.
  5. Cranberry Christmas: Back in print! Vintage, cartoony in the right kind of way and fun as always!
  6. Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?: Jan Brett dials up another beautiful book and this one is sure to win the hearts of polar bear lovers!
  7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Is there ANY Christmas book list complete without this one?!
  8. Mortimer's Christmas Manger: Karma Wilson's best book since Bear Snores On.  Great fun, vibrant pictures, a satisfying ending… excellent all around.
  9. Christmas Alphabet: I generally avoid pop-up books. But I can't be a complete scrooge and what better time of year to really allow a special, magical book be enjoyed (gently!) by children?!
  10. The Night Before Christmas. This was just released again this year and of ALL the editions of this famous rhyme, this one is my very favorite. There is something perfect about a vintage poem paired with vintage illustrations. And the dimensions of the actual book are kind of a fun novelty too.
(other books I want to check out in this category: Christmas Around the World: A Pop-Up BookShall I Knit You a Hat?: A Christmas Yarn, One Thousand Christmas Beards)


Best Reverent Christmas Stories:

  1. Father and Son: A Nativity Story: This is an excellent and novel book offering perspective on St. Joseph's Christmas night… he ponders the irony of being father to the Master of the Universe.  So good!
  2. All for the Newborn Baby: I'm so in love with this book!  I love the sweet text, the lovely illustrations and the little details of nature/botany in the margins!
  3. Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story: This isn't the usual, classic, elegant book one would expect in this category but I really love it.  All of creation readies for the newborn Savior: "It's time!" Really nicely done...
  4. A Small Miracle: Two of my sons' favorite Christmas book of all time!  This one's wordless so it's great for non-readers too. So lovely...
  5. There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve: A very simple story that begs to be read slow and somber… great reminder for folks who live where there is no snow and may feel disenfranchised from all the traditional Christmas scenery.
  6. The Donkey's Dream:  Hands down, my very favorite Christmas book of all time. Enough said.
  7. The Miracle of St. Nicholas: Of all my Christmas books, this absolutely would be in my Top Three. I love the art. I love the story. I love the reverence and focus on the season. And I especially love the mini history lesson that can happen with this story.
  8. The Little Boy's Christmas Gift: A little poor boy follows the procession of people bringing beautiful gifts to the newborn Jesus.  His is merely one of the first examples we see of "up-cycling"in a picture book. Beautifully illustrated.
  9. The Legend of the Poinsettia: Lucida searches and frets over having the perfect gift for the baby Jesus but feels like she's coming up short. Little does she know how God will reward her best of intentions. Another version of this story is also done really well in The Miracle of the First Poinsettia.
  10. A Christmas Story: Brian Wildsmith never disappoints with his artwork and this little story about a girl trying to reunite a donkey with his mother is very sweet.  Not quite as memorable/glorious as Wildsmith's Easter Story but still worth picking up!
(other books I want to check out in this category: One Small Lost SheepThe Shepherd's Christmas StoryMary's Song)

Best Christmas Stories Specific to Already Famous Literary Characters:
  1. Petunia's Christmas: Petunia gets married!  But not before having some very funny and touching adventures in saving her beloved gander...
  2. Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear: In the same type of narration and spirit as the original; Wood's pictures never fail to delight.
  3. An Otis Christmas: Bright, vibrant and always fun— Otis saves the day and a new baby (calf) is born!
  4. Merry Christmas, Strega Nona: Good old Strega Nona gets ready for Christmas Eve… makes for great Advent reading too!
  5. Carl's Christmas: Carl lovers won't be disappointed in another adventure filled (wordless) day spent with Carl on Christmas Eve. (Try to overlook the fact that the baby is left alone in the care of a dog…)
  6. Merry Christmas, Curious George: Just what we'd expect from this mischievous monkey: curious bumbles and a happy ending.
  7. Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve: My daughter's very favorite chicken confronts the jolly, red "Mr. Farmer" up on top of the roof.
  8. Merry Christmas Ernest & Celestine: Ernest and Celestine are new to me just this year but this duo has been around since the 1980s!  Belgiun author Gabrielle Vincent is a splendid watercolorist and I love the warm, cluttered pictures shown in these lovely, very simple stories. 
  9. The Jolly Christmas Postman: The jolly postman is back delivering special Christmas letters (real letters included in pockets!) to nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters. Very fun! Would make an excellent gift!
  10. The Cowboy's Christmas: This is everything I hoped it would be; it's especially appropriate for the Advent season.  The Cowboy books are so, so dear! Know that his imaginary friends don't make much sense in this story unless you have the context of his first book. I hope to collect all these books for my son. He adores them!
Best Emotionally Evocative Christmas Stories:
  1. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey: Probably on everyone's Christmas list of favorites… for good reason.  P.J. Lynch is a masterful artist and the story is a delight. The movie is pretty worthwhile as well; we check it out from the library each year.  
  2. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: A classic. An excellent story illustrated by my beloved Barbara Cooney really sets the spirit of family and life in Appalachia: so great.
  3. Light of Christmas: Beautifully staged high in the mountains, this is the story of a young boy giving up his wish to see the Christmas torch lit, to help an old man in need.  He is rewarded… and the message is a reminder to all of us adults today: "In your hurry to keep Christmas, you have forgotten Christmas."
  4. Angela and the Baby Jesus: This is a bit like the Grinch in that it is both funny and evocative… only the former book is more light reading and this latter book is more sentimental reading. My mischievous but well-meaning daughter relates very much to Angela's antics in this story.
  5. Christmas Day in the Morning: An excellent story to raise up men of virtue!  A boy offers up the most precious gift of all to his father.  So great...
  6. Prairie Christmas: A book on what the "spirit of the season" is really about, a sweet story on the transformation of one girl's heart.
  7. A Christmas Gift For Mama: I absolutely love O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi… but I always remember feeling like it was just a bit too "mature" for lack of better word. There are no children in the tale; the selfless devotion is between a man and his wife. Well, A Christmas Gift for Mama is essentially the same tale, only between a girl and her widowed mother. It's told and pictured in a lovely way and I feel like it's more relevant to children today. Very nice story...
  8. An Orange for Frankie: Based on a true story and very, very sweet. A lovely book...
  9. Why the Chimes Rang: Told in the way mid-century stories were often told… this is a genuine and lovely tale that captures what it's all about. Free to read at the Baldwin Project!
  10. Apple Tree Christmas: Like titles 5 and 7, this is another perfect book to embody what it means to give a truly thoughtful Christmas gift.  Beautiful illustrations…
Best Toddler Board Book Christmas Stories:
  1. Gingerbread Baby: Jan Brett shines again in the fun book! Be prepared to have children beg to make a gingerbread man (or baby!)
  2. The Crippled Lamb: This is a lovely tale about a lamb finding his place…
  3. Bear Stays Up for Christmas: Wilson's rhyming doesn't lose its cadence or charm in any of her books!  Here's another sweet one from this author.
  4. Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend: Get real with your kids on who's who regarding Santa/St. Nick. Nicely done retelling of one of the St. Nick legends.
  5. Who is Coming to Our House? The barn animals all get ready for "Someone" to come… toddler perfect.
  6. Snowmen at Christmas: Bright, vibrant illustrations and rhyming make this delightful for little ones; a sequel to the very popular Snowmen at Night.
  7. Christmas in the Manger. Simple, easy… nothing grand except that it's child-pleasing.
  8. B Is for Bethlehem: My very favorite toddler book for Christmas-time!  Pure eye candy...
  9. Night Before Christmas: The Classic Edition: There are many editions of the famous poem on the market; the rich illustrations by Charles Santore make this one stand out.
  10. Tonight You Are My Baby: A nice perspective of the human side of Mary just savoring her newborn here: "Tomorrow you'll be my king, tonight you are my baby."
(other books I want to check out in this category: Christmas Carols, and Merry Christmas, Baby)

Best Historical Christmas Stories:
  1. Christmas in the Trenches: The neat, true story about the Christmas truces called on the Western Front during WW1.  It leaves you feeling bittersweet though… knowing how each side can recognize and celebrate the dignity of the other while commencing to kill anyway… the ugliest sides of war are carefully avoided though.
  2. Lighthouse Christmas: Very cool history about the Flying Santa Service: a pilot delivers Christmas packages to an isolated lighthouse keeper and his family. Circa 1929.
  3. Silent Night: The Song and Its Story:  Beautiful, beautiful book that brings you right to the circumstances surrounding the serendipitous creation of this famous song in 1818.
  4. Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber: I'm so happy to have new, fresh Christmas books still being produced year after year!  This one is brand new and an excellent choice for boys, World War II studies, and entire families in general. Really cool history photos thrown in among the story too.
  5. A Gift from Saint Francis: The First Creche: A very nice and matter of fact story of how the very first crèche came to be in 1223. There are two other books on this exact story look promising that I didn't get a chance to look at personally: Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas and The Living Nativity
  6. A Christmas Like Helen's: Included because I'm in love with Mary Azarian.  And in love with the nostalgic rural lifestyle of yesteryears that I'll never know. A beautiful book.
  7. The Christmas Tree Ship: This is "historical fiction" telling the story of the ship that brought Christmas trees to Chicago in the early 20th century.  Really lovely illustrations here...
  8. A Christmas Tree in the White House: A fun, true story from the Roosevelt era. This offers a good look at the "inside life" of a president and his six rascally children.  
  9. The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree: A family is just trying to survive the Depression. In so doing, they contribute to the beginning of a national tradition.  A beautiful, beautiful book; Jim La Marche was the perfect illustrator for this story.
  10. Shooting at the Stars. This is another version out this year just like the first title on this list. A bit less sober and a bit more simplified than the other title but the same story, just a preference of versions if you had to choose one. I ended up buying this for my son to complement our WW1 studies.
(other books I want to check out in this category: The Littlest Cowboy's Christmas, Christmas on the Mayflower)


Best Christmas Stories Based on Songs:
  1. The Little Drummer Boy: Very sweet illustrations to accompany the song's lyrics.  I admit this has a soft spot for me since I remember The Little Drummer Boy as being my mother's favorite Christmas song and Ezra Jack Keats renders it beautifully.
  2. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gennady Spirin is pure loveliness. But tied for first place is the version done by Laurel Long, which is just a visual feast on every page. Another good one (that I like in the board book format) is The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett.  Collectors of all things Brian Wildsmith should know that he also has a beautiful one and so does Jane Ray
  3. The Huron Carol: Illustrated lyrics to the famous carol that St. Jean De Brebeuf wrote to explain the Christmas story to the Hurons. There is another in print version by another illustrator available too; you really can't go wrong with either.  Haunting and beautiful.
  4. Good King Wenceslas: There are a few versions of picture books set to this song.  One that is story form (rather than just lyrics) and very nice is Stephen's Feast.
  5. Silent Night: Just what one would expect from the sentiment this song evokes.
  6. Ding Dong! Merrily on High: Oh how I love Francesca Crespi!  Here is a gorgeous collection of carols accompanied by her outstanding pop-ups...
  7. Frosty the Snowman: Frosty the Snowman is probably the easiest Christmas song to sing along to a book. This one has bright, fresh illustrations to the classic song. And it comes with Kenny Loggins singing it!
  8. Away in a Manger: I never exactly jumped on the Thomas Kincade bandwagon but even I have to admit that the "painter of light" is perfectly suited to illustrating Christmas themes.  
  9. The Nutcracker: Not exactly lyrics to a song of course as it was a ballet, but I had to include the most famous Christmas fairy tale of all and Susan Jeffers does it best.
  10. White Christmas: Good song. Bright, fantasy illustrations complete with snow fairies that look like munchkins from the Land of Oz… what else could one want? (Maybe an accompanying CD of Bing Crosby.) Michael Hague has a bit of a cult following and they can find more of his signature illustrations in his Treasury of Christmas Carols.
(other books I want to check out in this category: Away in a MangerO Come, All Ye Faithful,  Nutcracker)
    Best "Just Sweet" Christmas Stories:
    1. Mousekin's Christmas Eve: Mousekin is a Charlotte Mason-ers delight with all the beautiful depictions of the natural world. All of these books need to come back in print!  Here is a lovely analogy about the one place we can all find a home: at the foot of the manger.
    2. The Mice, the Monks and the Christmas Tree: I bought this blindly, without knowing or hearing a single thing about it. This is a rare move for me. But after hearing the title and seeing the cover, I could not resist!  Since info on it is hard to find online, I'll post more about it separately.
    3. Santa Mouse: (What is it about mice and Christmastime?!) This is a light and fun little story about Santa's new helper. Little children will like it but what gets it on my list is the darling vintage, Richard Scarry-esque artwork by Elfreida De Witt.
    4. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree: An old goat of a tree is sad that he never gets picked to be a family's Christmas Tree.  But animals all around get together to show him how much he matters to them right where he is.
    5. The Christmas ABC: Eloise Wilkins shines her vintage Christmas artwork here. The girl reminds me of my god-daughter which is why I bought this for her this year!
    6. The Little Drummer Mouse: Mercer Mayer's lavishly illustrated book about a little, unappreciated mouse being the one who is able to make baby Jesus happy.
    7. Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel: The sweet legend of why we decorate Christmas trees with tinsel… it might be enough to convert spider-haters.
    8. The Spider's Gift: A Ukrainian Christmas Story: Eric Kimmel always does a great job with fables and legends. What I especially like is that all the emphasis isn't just on spiders leaving a miracle on the tree, but that Christ's birth is still emphasized and celebrated.
    9. The Candymaker's Gift: The Legend of the Candy Cane: The lovely story behind the favorite candy that is full of symbolism and meaning.
    10. Drummer Boy. Loren Long nails these illustrations. This is the classic, lost-and-found-toy storyline. I love when sweet books are able to have a subtle hint to the true meaning of Christmas without forcing it.

    Top 11 Out-of-Print Christmas Stories that I Haven't Seen (Yet)… But Would Love to Get My Hands On!
    1. The Christmas Angel: Joan Gale Thomas wrote the very dear If Jesus Came To My House (not to be confused with the newer version with "updated" illustrations) and "A" Stands for Angel which I love (and is also highly Christmas-relevant!)  I'm certain this Christmas story from her has got to be just as lovely as all her work!  She also did If I'd Been Born in Bethlehem which I'd love to see too.
    2. How Six Found Christmas: Something is drawing me to this...
    3. The Dolls' Christmas: Tasha Tudor and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly.
    4. An Edwardian Christmas: I have an affection for wordless books and this looks lovely.
    5. Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers: It's on everyone else's lists of great Christmas books, so it must be good!
    6. The Secret Santa of Olde Stonington: I love small town mysteries and legends...
    7. Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle: Published very recently, this book became a big hit and I'm disappointed it went out of print so quickly!!!
    8. The Christmas Cake in Search of its Owner. I went on a Roger Duvoisin appreciation kick this year and want to see more!
    9. The Christmas Forest. Same reason as above!
    10. Mother Makes Christmas.  Anything that includes Lois Lenski illustrations is a must-see in my opinion—they are so full of "the good old days" charm.
    11. A Christmas Alphabet. I love alphabet books! I love Joan Walsh Anglund! It must be a delightful pairing...

    The Mice, the Monks and the Christmas Tree

    When I somehow stumbled on the title of The Mice, the Monks and the Christmas Tree, I had to immediately find out about it.  I love tales of mice at Christmastime and I love tales that weave the Catholic faith into them too.  It had to be good right?! Well, I couldn't find any info online whatsoever other than it was written by George Selden—author of the famed Cricket in Times Square.  So I found a cheap copy online and bought it… a rare move for me when I know or hear nothing about a picture book!  But I am not disappointed.

    The story is lovely.  A group of monks are all so busy performing charitable works for others that they quite forget about getting a Christmas tree.  On Christmas Eve, the mice of St. Patrick's Monastery finally take matters into their own hands and chop down and decorate their own tree to present to the good brothers.  The whole story begs to be read with a thick Irish accent… it's a fun piece of vintage children's picture book history.  Here are some amateur images so you can take a peek inside:







    The Twelve Days of Christmas


    It's not listed as a Bargain Book, so this may just be a listing fluke you have to jump on quick… but the beautiful book The Twelve Days of Christmas by Gennady Spirin is hugely discounted on Amazon right now…

    Saint Felix and the Spider

    Another new book by Dessi Jackson came out a few weeks ago!  This one is Saint Felix and the Spider and tells the story of how this saint befriended a little spider who went on to save him from soldiers hunting him down. It's a fun little legend and would be excellent if you have a child named Felix and want to find SOMETHING… ANYTHING on his namesake! Or even if you just like to keep saint books on hand for feast days (January 14th in this case).  The illustrations are pretty good all around, fairly simple but bright and vibrant. It is so difficult to find good saint books on lesser-known saints and I'm very willing to seek these out!  This is the same author who brought us the very fun Saint and his Bees story recently too.  I hope there is more coming from her!

    It's really too bad that these aren't offered in hardcovers (not sure if these small-time publishers can even offer that?) because they are great additions to a Catholic child's bookshelf!

    amazon deal!

    In a rare move, Amazon is offering 30% off any book (up to $10 off) until TOMORROW, Dec. 1st!!! Enter code BOOKDEAL at checkout! Thank you to Katie for alerting me to this deal…

    The Jesse Tree in Picture Books

    **** updated: 11/2014, new comments in RED****
    Be sure to check out the alternate and more concise version of this list here.

    I had an ambitious project in mind this year before Advent begins. Normally we do our readings for each day of the Jesse Tree straight from a Children's Bible.  But I wanted to up our game. So I did some initial browsing online to see if it was even possible. It was. I could find a picture book for every individual Bible reading for each of the days of Advent! Mind = Blown.

    I got many of my initial title inspirations from this kind mama where she lists a book for each of December's days. But in our home, we do Jesse Tree a bit differently so I adjusted quite a bit for our purposes.  First of all, we observe Advent for the full 21-28 days depending on the year. Some folks keep it simple and just do Jesse Tree readings beginning Dec. 1st. Secondly, I wasn't willing to find a picture book just to have a picture book of a certain story.  It had to be good, which means most serial Bible story sets need not apply. Third, beginning on December 17th, we switch completely to the Antiphons. So the last Bible story we read about is the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth before going to the beautiful Messianic titles of Christ (heard in the song "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"). It would have been far too difficult to find picture books for THOSE, so we just go back to the simple Bible verse and prayer until Christmas Eve when we will read over the original Nativity story (picture book or straight from the Bible) itself.

    So in reality, I needed a full 21 individual stories (28 - 7 Antiphons = 21 stories for the longest year of Advent.) On shorter Advent years, we may read more than one story a night (i.e. all the Moses readings work nicely to combine or separate) or skip one altogether.

    The downside to this project is that finding picture books—quality picture books—for the stories I wanted to include was a big challenge. Huge actually. There are a myriad of cheap, saccharine-looking Bible story books on the market. But with enough hunting and scavenging and library holding… it was just about possible to find worthy books for my tastes! There are only a couple stories with which I'm not 100% satisfied, so my hunt continues.  Now, I had a couple of these titles already; many others were found at the library. Others were purchased at cheap out-of-print prices. Only one was splurged on at full price. So doing the Jesse tree with picture books is possible! But I admit that its a bit of a luxury; maybe start by acquiring just a few titles a year to supplement your regular readings.

    Here's what we have going on for a full 28 day Advent. This year, 2013, the season is only 24 days so we're doing Moses all in one day and Joseph all in one day. I'll probably skip Elijah altogether. I recently found a couple more stories that are NOT on this particular compendium but you may want to substitute in somewhere if you happen to have an easier time finding them than some of these others:

    BALAAM'S ASS: I didn't realize there was a good picture book version of this drama-comedy until I stumbled upon The Donkey's Story by Barbara Cohen, thinking it must be a Christmas story at first. But I was pleasantly surprised.  Then I found another one I liked even better in  The Angel and the Donkey! There is a third story on this which I haven't seen but it is part of an old vintage series that I would LOVE to have in its entirety: Balaam and his Ass .

    JOSHUA: Joshua Crosses the Jordan is a reader book but it looks like it could be pretty good.  It's done by the same pair who did the Elijah title below. 

     
    Jesse Tree Booklist

    Day 1: The Story of Creation. The best I found on this is Gennedy Spirin's Creation. I'm looking forward to Archbishop Tutu's yet to be released Let There Be Light (update 11/14: I've seen it now and not really a fan.). But so far, Spirin's story is both the most simple, most beautiful (well God does look a little bit intimidating but I can overlook that) and most faithful to the original Bible text.
    Day 2: Adam & Eve and the Fall. I am currently using Fiona French's Paradise for the story of the Garden of Eden. I previewed a few others and either didn't like the text or was uncomfortable with the full, frontal nudity. I loved everything about Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden except for the overt nudity and as my three oldest are boys… I just would rather avoid that ogling temptation. Other families might feel differently. The nudity is in context after all, and one good mama suggested that she has no problem employing the Sharpie marker to lengthen Eve's hair or some-such in these situations. But this particular Jane Ray book was a library one… and I wasn't willing to purchase something that needed at least two pages of obvious modification. In French's book, there are two pictures of Eve's breasts; they are pretty benign considering the art is clearly stained glass-style unreal.
    (I thickened an arm shadow to cover the nipple on one page and had the audacity to draw in a blackbird on Eve's arm for the other page!  It might be a little ridiculous… my kids probably won't notice the alterations at all. But I feel better anyway.) I wish the story went a little more into detail about Eve tempting Adam and the confrontation; it also ends on a somber note of simply the Garden being closed.  In short, it's not perfect but I do like most of it...
    Day 3: Noah and the Ark. Despite the many versions of this story, the clear-cut winner is hand's down Jerry Pinkney's Noah's Ark.
    Day 4: The Tower of Babel. I was very happy to see that a great and vibrant story exists on this: (albeit, out of print…) You can read my review on it at amazon. The Tower of Babel.
    Day 5: The Promise to Abraham. I ran into some trouble here. I settled on a typical series-version book for the stories of Abraham and Isaac but it's not anything worth writing about.  I really wanted to get my hands on Sarah Laughs but wasn't able to budget it in this year… (update 11/14: got it and love it) and it still left me with the problem of...
    Day 6: Isaac and Abraham. There IS The White Ram: A Story of Abraham and Isaac but I thought it strayed too far into the fanciful and I really want to keep our readings focused and reverent. So, until I find some better options, I'll be reading from our mediocre story book for Abraham and Isaac.
    Day 7: Jacob and Esau. Done very well in this book: Jacob and Esau.
    Day 8: Joseph.  This is one of those stories that can be broken into two days: the early story of The Coat of Many Colors and the later story involving his brother'' reconciliation in Benjamin and the Silver Goblet or you find the whole story done well in Joseph.
    Days 9 & 10: Moses. This covers the individual stories of the baby in the basket, the 10 plagues and parting of the sea, and the 10 Commandments. We can read it in sections. There are a few different options that have the whole Moses story but the one I liked the most was done by Margaret Hodges and Barry Moser: Moses. I may also throw in parts from Wildsmith's Exodus just to change it up a bit.
    Day 11: Ruth.  I finally got The Story Of Ruth and think it's a necessary addition to the Jesse Tree. I'll be shortening the Moses stories to include this one!  It's a great lesson in fidelity and devotion.
    Day 12: Samuel. I was surprised to find The Story of the Call of Samuel! It's a pretty well done version of the story. I just wonder why there aren't other decent picture books on even more interesting Bible figures like Samson, Joshua, Elijah, and others…
    Day 13: David and Goliath.  The best version I was able to find was David and Goliath.
    Day 14: Esther. I really, really love the Esther book we use for this day! Queen Esther Saves Her People is just sooo good.  If you can't borrow or purchase this one, there are other decent versions out there. I'd settle for The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale if it weren't for the other one.
    Day 15: Solomon. I wasn't thrilled with the couple of books I previewed on Solomon's riddles and such. I wanted a general idea of his kingship and justice.  So I bought the compilation picture book: Kings and Queens of the Bible and am pretty happy with it. Alternately, you can find a lovely tale of his testing by Queen Sheba in The Wisest Man in the World, complete with illustrations by the excellent Anita Lobel.
    Day 16: Elijah.  I desperately wanted to find a good picture book on Elijah because I think he's an important prophet and his story is neat enough to visualize.  Instead I found Journeys with Elijah: Eight Tales of the Prophet at the library which is a collection of legends.  The book is nice but the only useful part to me for my purposes is the introduction which tells the actual story of Elijah. So I'm still on the hunt for a stand-alone picture book on this man. (update 11/14: There is a wonderful and excellent story to be found in Elijah and the Fire from Heaven but it is "very" out of print and used copies in good shape are hard to find. I'll write more about this in a separate post. I did notice a reader book called Elijah and King Ahab but haven't had a chance to personally preview it yet.  It is cheap though and looks like "inoffensive" art; I'd buy it if I didn't have the other one.)
    Day 17: Jonah.  I was really, really pleased with Jonah and the Whale. I looked at a few different versions of this story but was really discouraged by the twaddle and the unfaithful retellings out there.  This one is really good…
    Day 18: King Belshazaar and the Writing on the Wall. I admit that this wasn't my first pick on stories to include in our Jesse Tree traditions but I wasn't able to identify any good books for the stories I DID want.  So this will suffice.  I found this story in the Kings and Queens of the Bible book again.
    Day 19: Daniel in the Lion's Den. I only got to see a couple story books with this tale in it (indeed there are only a couple) and the best one out there is definitely Daniel and the Lord of Lions.
    Day 20: The Annunciation and Visitation. I have the book Mary by Brian Wildsmith but de Paola's Mary: The Mother of Jesus is pretty great too. (also, let's not forget the strange and wonderful book by Inos Biffi The Life of Mary to use for these stories also.) 
    Days 21-27: The Antiphons
    Day 28 (Christmas Eve): The Nativity.  There are a number of decent versions of the Nativity told in picture book form. I like ones that use the actual words from the Bible. I'm using Francesca Crespi's The Nativity because I already had it and it's a nice, special, pop-up touch to the end of the Advent season for my kids. Other worthy titles are: The Christmas StoryBethlehem, and Christmas Story.

    Happy reading!

    *Addendum
    Why do the Jesse Tree at all?  For us, it's to give the FULL Christmas story… to remember the beginning of salvation history. I love this thought from then-Cardinal Ratzinger (1986):

         "Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. 
         The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…
         It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."

    Upcycled Bookmarks!

    I love this idea. Can you imagine the potential?!  I have a laminator. I have card stock. And boy, do I have ruined books waiting for new life to be breathed into them.  If you aren't a DIYer, consider supporting the Etsy shop where I found this idea.  Stocking stuffers… coming right up!




    Christmas Book Bargains!

    Yes, it's still November and not even Advent yet, but I can't help but think ahead (a massive, comprehensive Christmas post is coming soon!) even if I'm not "celebrating" ahead! I've collected a few of the good/great Christmas titles that are bargain priced right now; quantities are limited! Get 'em while they're hot and stash them for gift-giving!


     
           

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