The simple but striking cover of this Nativity story effectively employs an overhead view of a smiling baby against a plain red background with the title standing out in white type. Slegers uses a palette of joyful, rich hues in her exuberant paintings, rendered in a flattened, naïve style reminiscent of children’s drawings. The volume’s thoughtful design uses just a few sentences of simple text, skillfully and simply relating the basic narrative of the Christ Child’s birth in language young children can understand. The conclusion relates the gifts of the Magi to gifts given on Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and the final illustration shows a happy child opening a Christmas package. Few Christmas books connect the Nativity story to the contemporary celebration of the holiday in such an accessible and cheerful way. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)
