The Christmas Baby

by Marion Dane Bauer, Richard Cowdrey (Illustrator)

Overview

When a baby was born in the manger, Mary and Joseph rejoiced. The angels sang, and kings journeyed to bring gifts. When you came into the world, there was a celebration too - because every new baby is a small miracle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416978855
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	10/06/2009
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	280,440
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the New York Times bestseller My Mother Is Mine. Her other titles include A Mama for Owen, If You Were Born a Kitten, Grandmother's Song, and Thank You for Me! She has retired from the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults where she was the first Faculty Chair. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.

Richard Cowdrey has illustrated many books, including Bambi, The Christmas Baby, and the #1 New York Times bestselling Bad Dog, Marley! He lives in Gambier, Ohio.

Editorial Reviews

Have you heard?... A baby is coming!” Joseph asks innkeeper after innkeeper to no avail, until he reaches a group of laughing barnyard animals who happily make room. Joseph's refrain is echoed by rosy-faced angels and heard by shepherds and kings, who gather to peer at the child who “smiled at the world with God's own smile.” The final pages shift to the birth of a modern infant whose family gathers around its crib. The parallel should hearten the youngest readers, though the jubilantly cutesy acrylics are sweet to the point of saccharine. Ages 2–5. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-K–This simple retelling of the Nativity story begins with Joseph arriving in a tiny town and, after knocking on doors, asking, “Have you heard? A baby! A baby is coming!” After Joseph and Mary are turned away many times, their donkey takes them to a stable filled with beasts that welcome the couple. The acrylic illustrations are mostly endearing but the page with the angels may remind some readers of the children in Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction. After the shepherds and Wise Men come to pay their respects and bring gifts, the book explains that every time a baby is born, stars and angels sing in their “satin” voices, “Have you heard?” A baby! Our baby is here!” An excess of cuteness adds little to the timeless story.–Diane Olivo-Posner, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal