This traditional version of the Nativity story uses the King James Version of the Bible from the book of Luke with a short text and oversized format that will work well for reading to a group. Bernardin (The Legend of the Candy Cane, not reviewed, etc.) has created beautiful illustrations in a similar traditional vein, although he is modern in his artistic sensibilities by being careful to make his characters look like they could have actually been from the Middle East. Mary, Baby Jesus, and a shepherd boy with his lamb are shown on the attractive cover against a midnight blue background, and this same shepherd boy is a recurring figure throughout the story. He is shown traveling with his sheep on the endpapers, running through the streets of Bethlehem, arriving at the stable with the other shepherds, and then spreading the news of the birth. This connecting device of a particular child relating to the Nativity retelling works well, as does the choice of simple text that gets the story across without being overwhelming. Bernardin’s illustrations are appealing without being overly sweet, and this will be a logical choice for families to read aloud on Christmas Eve. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-9)
