COME AND SEE

PLB 0-06-023527-6 Come And See (32 pp.; $14.95; PLB $14.89; Oct. 31; 0-06-023526-8; PLB 0-06-023527-6) An angelic voice calling out “Come and see,” accompanied by music in the hills, opens this retelling of the Christmas story. Stilted comments in the voice of the young girl who narrates the story are awkwardly interspersed with repetitive angelic commands. The illustrations feature slightly stylized shepherds and townsfolk of Middle Eastern descent, a refreshing change from the anglicized characters that appear in so many nativity stories. Still, the overall result is lackluster; readers are never drawn into the festivities surrounding the miracle. (Picture book. 3-8)