Mary's First Christmas

Mary’s First Christmas, written by award-winning author Walter Wangerin Jr., tells the story of the Nativity from Mary’s perspective using the first person point of view. In the story, Mary is talking to her five-year-old son Jesus. Jesus has a gash in his forehead caused by a stone thrown at him. As Mary tends to the wound, she begins telling the story of his life.

The book is divided into four chapters. Each chapter relates a different part of the story. In chapter one, Mary doesn’t start her story with that blessed night in Bethlehem; instead, she begins her story with her encounter with the angel nine months before Jesus’ birth. The angel tells her she will have a son and she will call him Jesus. Mary tells Jesus how excited she was to receive such wonderful news.

Chapter two begins with her telling Joseph the news. At first, Joseph is very angry because he thinks Mary has been with another man. Then an angel visits him and tells him he is to wed Mary and raise the child as his own.

Chapter three is the story of Jesus’ actual birth. Mary tells Jesus how she and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and couldn’t find a place to spend the night. They were forced to bed down in a stable with the animals and that’s where Jesus was born.

In chapter four, Mary tells Jesus about the three wise men who came to visit when Jesus was nearly two months old. The wise men warned Mary and Joseph that King Herod wanted to kill Jesus, so the family fled to Egypt to keep him safe. After King Herod died, the family went back to Nazareth where Jesus grew up. Mary tells him he will face a life of sorrow and hardship but that he would be “the one to heal the dangers and hatred and sin of the world.”

The language of the text is poetic and lyrical. Here’s a sample, taken from chapter three: “On the night you were born the whole sky exploded with love, and the angels shouted, and more than a thousand thousand hearts were in love with my baby Jesus on his birthday!” The colorful, vivid and incredibly life-like illustrations, by Timothy Ladwig, are a feast for the eyes and the text is music to the ears.

What I Like: Everything, especially the way the story is told. This is the only children’s picture book about Jesus’ birth that I know of that has Mary telling Jesus about his birth. Every child can relate to this as they love to hear stories about themselves.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests ages 4-8 as the target audience for this book, but I believe this book would have much wider appeal than that, at least 4-10, maybe more. I know I enjoyed the book!

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 1998; ISBN: 9780310222163; Hardcover: $19.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website. Visit the illustrator’s website. Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Timothy Ladwig.

On This Special Night

On This Special Night by Claire Freedman is a gorgeous picture book about Christmas. In this simple story, Little Kitten finds it hard to sleep because the stars are brighter than usual - and one star, bigger and brighter than the rest, catches her attention. Soon a tired donkey comes into the barn that Little Kitten and Mother Cat are cuddled up in. He refreshes himself with some water from the trough and mentions he's taking a special journey. Next, a lamb asks if she can rest in the hay after a long day of traveling. Little Kitten asks Lamb if she knows why the star is so bright, but before Lamb can answer some mice ask for shelter. "We've been walking forever, and our paws are frozen!" they say.

And so the night goes, with a variety of tired animals taking a short respites in the barn. The night is so bustling, the best Little Kitten can get out of anyone is that "Tonight is a very special night...Something amazing is going to happen." Finally, Little Kitten and Mother Cat climb to the top of the barn to see if they can tell what's going on. They see three camels with riders traveling toward a little stable not far away. Little Kitten and Mother Cat follow them.

They crowd between other animals to find...a baby. A very special baby sleeping in the hay.

"The animals watched quietly as, above them all, the bright, bright star blazed in the night...shining with peace and joy and love."

What I Like: This book is mostly about the magnificient illustrations by Simon Mendez. They glow in soft hues and show the animals in realistic fashion, yet surrounded by what might be called a heavenly glow. On This Special Night is truly a feast for the eyes.

What I Dislike: We are never told who the "special baby" is, or why he was born. So if you're looking for a book explaining the true meaning of Christmas, skip On This Special Night. On the other hand, if your children are already familiar with the biblical Christmas story, this book is a nice addition to your Christmas book shelf.

Overall Rating: Judging by the story alone, I'd give it a "Good." But add the fabulous illustrations, and I have to give this title a rating of "Very Good."

Age Appeal: According to the publisher 4 - 8, but I'd say 3 - 6 or so.

Publishing Info: Scholastic, 2009; ISBN: 978-0545104869; hardback, $14.99

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Chronicles of Faith: Ruth

True to its title, Chronicles of Faith: Ruth, written by Kjersti Hoff Baez, chronicles the life of Ruth, a well-known character from the Bible. It’s a fictionalized story of her journey with her mother-in-law, Naomi as they leave Ruth’s homeland in Moab and travel to Bethlehem, Naomi’s homeland. The account ends with the birth of Ruth’s son to her new husband, Boaz.

The author takes liberties with the telling of Naomi and Ruth’s journey from Moab to Bethlehem as this is not chronicled in the Bible. However, the extra story line adds some depth to the tale and gives the reader a greater understanding of what the journey might have been like for the two women. The author’s account of the events after Naomi and Ruth reach their new home are faithful to the Biblical version.

Even though this is a chapter book, pencil illustrations by Al Bohl are scattered throughout the text. The drawings are expressive and serve to emphasize certain parts of the story.

What I Like: I like biographies, especially ones of Bible characters. It makes the people seem more real, more true-to-life, and puts their stories into Biblical and historical perspective. This one does just that.

What I Dislike: There are a lot of layout problems with the text in this book, i.e., paragraphs that aren’t indented, lines not going from one end of the page to the other, etc.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, Inc, 1990; ISBN: 9781597899284; Paperback, $4.97.

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Special Info: This book is part of Barbour Publishing’s Chronicles of Faith series. Read our reviews of other books in the series.

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea perfectly rounds out Frank Peretti's Cooper Kids Adventure Series. In this fourth installment, we finally are treated to an inside look at the emotions of Lila, her archaeologist father, Dr. Cooper, and, to a lesser degree, Jay. We learned in the first book Lila and Jay lost their mother, and this book finally explains what happened. Book four also addresses the questions I raised about Lila's motivation in my review of Book three--I promise I didn't read book four until after I wrote the review of book three!

It turns out, Lila is tired of narrowly escaping death and risking bodily injury to help her father on his archaeological digs. While working in Japan, she and her father have an argument in which Lila accuses her father of not caring about her or her mother, who he never mentions. Lila misses her mother, and wishes she could talk about her. As a result of their argument, Dr. Cooper decides to send Lila to her aunt's house in Washington State. Using his connections, Dr. Cooper secures passage to the States for Lila on a military transport jet. Unfortunately, the plane is carrying top-secret weapons and is hijacked shortly after take-off. One of the crew befriends Lila, and tells her to climb into a waterproof, bullet-proof, capsule-shaped pod carrying a mysterious weapon.

It doesn't take long for Lila to become the only survivor of the plane crash, and her father and brother to realize something is amiss. Jay and Dr. Cooper quickly head to a small island in the Pacific to try to find out what has happened to Lila. There they join a foreign journalist and two islanders in their race to find the weapons pod before terrorists or Russia's Communist government find it, and before the Americans command the pod to self-destruct.

As Jay and Dr. Cooper attempt a rescue, Lila is stuck in the pod, thinking about the harsh words she exchanged with her dad. Peretti draws many parallels between Lila's plight and the story of Jonah, and like Jonah, Lila is miraculously saved in time to apologize to her father and learn his true feelings for her mother.

What I Like: I am so pleased this book finally delves into some heavy characterization of our teenage heroes and their father. Readers will identify with Lila's struggles to accept responsibility for her part in the fight with her dad. Most of Lila's time in the pod is spent in an ongoing conversation with God, where she alternately is desperate, angry and contrite. At the end, she is able to move past her feelings of blame and hurt, and forgive her dad.

I also like the fast-paced action. The book reads like one of the old James Bond movies (which I am not endorsing, however.) It is written in the style of an international thriller, but with personable, Christian characters, and a Christian message.

What I Dislike: Lila's escape, though meant to be miraculous, is not very believable. But a happy ending is better than an unhappy one, so oh well.

Overall Rating: Very Good!

Age Appeal: 10-14, but older readers will enjoy it.

Publisher Info: Crossway, 1988; ISBN: 978-1-58134-621-3 ; Paperback, $5.99

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Special Information: The books come in a four-book set, available for $17.99 from CBD, and I would highly recommend reading all of them. I would like to read the first two books over again, since I now have a better sense of the characters.

Read our reviews of other Frank Peretti books here.

The Minions of Time

The Minions of Time (The Wormling Book IV), is the fourth novel in the Wormling series and continues the fantasy saga of Owen Reeder. The authors, Chris Fabry and Jerry B. Jenkins, have written other notable Christian fiction series.


Owen, the son of a bookstore owner, had found the Book of the King and in reading it, discovered that he was chosen to be the Wormling. He’d been entrusted with the book and a worm named Mucker, the transport between the Highlands (Earth) and the Lowlands. Owen’s quest to find the King’s Son, who would lead forces to battle the Dragon and reunite the Highlands and the Lowlands, led him to discover that he is, in fact, the Son of the King.

The Dragon plans to kill the Son and his betrothed bride, after which he will cleanse the earth with fire. He’s eagerly awaiting his minions to hatch. They are dragon-type creatures that will round up Owen’s followers and age them with one poisonous bite. The Dragon has the Son’s sword and a missing chapter of The Book of the King in his possession.


The action begins on page one as Owen is flying over the Lowlands in a cage full of prisoners. The cage is shot down into the sea and he narrowly escapes being eaten by a giant sea monster. Erol and his clan aid in the rescue, and Owen reveals to them and his former teacher, Mordecai, what he has discovered about himself.

Meanwhile, Watcher has been left with a copy of The Book of the King and the promise that the Wormling will return. She's nearly tricked into the Dragon’s lair by a Wormling look-alike until Rotag, Batwing, and Tusin pull her into an underground cavern.

As Owen travels toward the White Mountain, he recruits many followers to his cause, although he faces skepticism over his royal lineage. He must also find his mother, sister, bride, and also Watcher. Throughout the story, Owen remains courageous and loyal to his cause, while bringing together the Lowlanders to fight the evil Dragon. He relies on words from The Book of the King for strength and hope.

The plot moves toward fulfilling a prophecy: when the two worlds collide and the four portals between worlds are breached, the end of the evil one is near. The Dragon uses his gemstones to destroy White Mountain, an important signal of the coming of the Son. During the battle at White Mountain, Owen plays on the Dragon’s anger to retrieve his sword before escaping to the Highlands with the help of the dirt-munching Mucker.

Once there, Owen faces many people from his Highland past who play an important role in the battle between good and evil. Connie finds the minion eggs and hatches them before they are at a full level of potency. Clara and Mr. Page join Owen in defending the attack of the minions. He does find his sister, Father, and bride. The story closes as his Father sacrifices himself to destroy the Minion nest and as his Lowland friends are being destroyed in battle.

What I Like: The many Biblical parallels are creatively wrapped into a fantasy world. The setting and characters are engaging, and despite fantasy not being my favorite genre, I found it to be an inspiring page turner.

What I Dislike: This novel is not a stand-alone. For full understanding, it's best to have read previous novels. The chapters can be very short and this builds suspense, but the plot can be somewhat predictable for older readers. The book ends abruptly, and to find out what happens to Owen, you'll have to read book five!

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: Ages 10 to 14

Publisher Info: Tyndale House, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-4143-0158-7 ; Paperback $7.99

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God's Blessings at Farm Creek Pond

In God’s Blessings at Farm Creek Pond, author Nancy Phillips takes us to her favorite spot, Farm Creek Pond, which just happens to be in her own backyard. She shows and describes all the amazing creatures that come to her pond: deer, birds, butterflies, weasels, turtles and frogs. She shows us that God’s wonders, his blessings, are close by; we don’t have to go far to find them. As she says:

“God gives us so many blessings…All we have to do is learn to take the time and notice. Open up your own back door, step out, stop and then focus.”

Psalms 104:24 is given as a reference for this book: “Oh Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou has made them all, the earth is full of Thy possessions.”

The illustrations by Barbara Hicks are wonderful. The colorful paintings are so life-like they make you feel like you can touch and feel the animals in them.

What I Like: The illustrations. Like I said, they are very life-like and a delight to look at.

What I Dislike: The text is written in rhyme, and as you know, I’m not a big fan. Unfortunately, even though the text is descriptive, the rhythm and rhyme just don’t work well in several places.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The publisher does not give a target audience for this book but I would say it’s ages 5-9.

Publisher Info: Lifevest Publishing, Inc., 2008; ISBN: 1598795538; Hardcover, $17.99.

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God's Story for Me Bible Storybook

If you are looking for a children's Bible to entertain toddlers and still teach truths about God's love to preschool and grade school children, look no further. God's Story for Me Bible Storybook by Gospel Light Publishing, is like a Life Application Bible for the tiniest readers (or listeners). While presented in typical children's Bible fashion with bright, eye-catching illustrations, and 104 various stories from the Old and New Testament, God's Story for Me is different in a couple of important ways.

First of all, each story ends with a two-sentence summary and lesson to take away from the passage. The publisher calls it a "Connection Circle" and explains, "These simple discussion starters help explain why God wants us to know this story and how it connects to a child's daily life." The connection circle at the end of the story of Joshua marching around the walls of Jericho says, "Sometimes God's plans are different from how we would do things. God's plans are good."

Secondly, the selection of stories seems more extensive and well-rounded than many children's Bibles on the market. For example, in the Old Testament, Isaac Digs Wells is included as a lesson on sharing, Esau Forgives retells the story of Jacob and Esau's reconciliation after Isaac steals Esau's blessing, and there are six stories about David instead of the two generally chosen. The best aspect of the New Testament picks is the inclusion of 16 stories after the Ascension of Christ. Readers get a good sense of the early church, a broader view of the lives of Peter and Paul, and of course learn about Heaven and telling others about Jesus.

Third, the Bible uses footnotes to explain things such as Passover, the Ark of the Covenant, and anointing.

The Bible also has 24 fun stickers at the back for children to use to mark favorite stories, "I heard this in Sunday School," "I read this with my Grandma," and so on.

What I Like: I really like the connection circles. They are well-written, theologically sound, and help parents and other adults relate the Bible to a child's life. I would pick God's Story for Me over any other Bible for this age range, simply to have the connection circles. The lessons in some stories are obvious, but for other stories, I, as a mom, appreciate having help. The story of Gideon and the Midianites ends with, "God cares for us. He will help us know what to do when people are mean to us." After Jesus' resurrection, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and tells Peter to feed his sheep three times. The publishers explain Peter had said he didn't know Jesus but then was sorry. The connection circle says, "Jesus never stops loving us, even when we do wrong. He will help us obey."

I also like the way the publishers point to Jesus even from the beginning of the Old Testament. After Adam and Eve hid from God, we see a picture of Jesus and read, "But God never stopped loving them. God gave them a happy promise: Someone would come to make things right again."

What I Dislike: The publishers use exclamation points and capital letters in a somewhat capricious style. This was distracting as I was reading aloud, and made the reading more choppy. For example, part of the story Friends Help a Lame Man is written, "The house had stairs up to the flat roof! The men carried their friend up the stairs. They broke and pulled and tore to make a big HOLE in the ROOF! Then the four carefully LOWERED their friend on his mat right through that hole!" Though annoying, I think you would get used to the style after repeated readings.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 2-5, but my 8-year-old still enjoys it.

Publisher Info: Gospel Light, 2009; ISBN: 978-0-8307-4812-9 ; Hardcover, $16.99

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Special Information: Look for CCBR reviews of other Bibles here!

My Giant Fold-Out Book: Christmas

My Giant Fold-out Book: Christmas has become my children's new favorite Christmas book. Written by Tracy Harrast, the text is broken into five mini-stories: God Sends an Angel to Mary, The Long Journey to Bethlehem, No Room in the Inn, Angels Bring Good News and Wise Men Visit the New King.

Readers lift a full-page flap within each chapter to reveal another picture and the second half of the that story. Each tells, in five to eight short paragraphs, its portion of the Nativity story. Bible references are provided throughout the book.

The illustrations by Paula Doherty feature gentle cartoon characters and vibrant colors. Her attractive artwork covers the front and back of every flap.

What I Like: Everything! The text is biblically accurate. My kids love the illustrations. They also like that the flaps are big (full-page size) and open in different directions each time. I like the quality book design. While not boardbook thickness, the pages are glossy, strong and sturdy, perfect for rough and sticky preschool fingers.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 3-5

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2008; ISBN: 075861425X; Hardback; $13.49

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The Tombs of Anak

Frank Peretti has a knack for finding unusual, obscure Bible stories and spinning them into fascinating modern-day adventures. The best installment of The Cooper Kids series so far, The Tombs of Anak takes Jay, Lila and their archaeologist father to an ancient Philistine temple outside of Jerusalem. They learn the temple is dedicated to Anak, the six-fingered and six-toed giant referenced in II Samuel 21:20. Their interest turns to dismay as they realize Anak was not only a biblical figure, but still exists and is determined to destroy them.

The Cooper family and their assistants are joined on their excavation of the temple by Talmai Ben-Arba. A mysterious, yet knowledgeable stranger, Ben-Arba is torn between his lust for rumored treasure and his desire to protect the Coopers, who he respects but doesn't understand.

The Coopers and Ben-Arba must battle hidden, Indiana Jones-style snares, a powerful sorceress, and the Yaharim, who worship Anak through ritual sacrifices. When Lila interrupts one such sacrifice, the Cooper expedition becomes the next target of the bloodthirsty Yaharim and their god, Anak. Since the Coopers are Christians, they do not believe Anak is a ghost, but they must gain the trust of Ben-Arba to finally unravel the secret. Ben-Arba's help becomes even more important when Anak starts hunting Lila and Jay who have become lost in a labyrinth under the tombs.

In a completely satisfying finish, the children are saved, and Ben-Arba renounces his greed and becomes a Christian intent on redeeming his life and the lives of his people, the Yaharim.

What I Like: The Tombs of Anak is well-crafted, with a suspenseful, dramatic storyline. The plot suffers from none of the inconsistencies present in the first two books, and gives evidence of Peretti's renowned prowess as a storyteller. (Keep in mind, these books were published over two decades ago.) Though suspense keeps readers turning the page and there are a couple of fatalities, the book shouldn't give anyone nightmares.

We are also starting to see more of Jay, Lila, and Dr. Cooper's characters, and we care more about their fate. I also love the sequence of Ben-Arba's conversion. It is clear the main reason he admires and respects the Coopers is the evidence of their faith in the face of adversity. I love happy endings, so I was excited to see him become a Christian.

The book would work well as a stand-alone, or as the third of a four-part series. (Watch for the upcoming review of book four, Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea.)

What I Dislike: I do wish we could see a bit more about what motivates Jay and Lila. After nearly being sacrificed to a giant snake in book two, I would have asked my dad if I could go to a nice, safe boarding school and read about his exploits in National Geographic. Nonetheless, I suppose Lila is braver and more adventurous than I am. However, I still would think she wouldn't wander off in search of firewood by herself (and subsequently disturb a sacrifice) directly after a narrowly escaping from a Yaharim wearing a gruesome wolf mask. But, Lila definitely increases the suspense factor, so readers will forgive her poor choices.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 10-14, but older teens may enjoy it as well.

Publisher Info: Crossway Books, 1987; ISBN: 978-1-58134-620-6; Paperback, $5.99

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Special Information: Check out our reviews of the first two books in The Cooper Kids series here.

Room For a Little One: A Christmas Tale

Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale, written by Martin Waddell, is a simple, yet beautiful story of the Nativity.

The story starts out with Kind Ox lying in his warm stable. Old Dog comes by, asking for a place to rest. Kind Ox answers, “Come inside. There’s always room for a little one here.” They then, in turn, make room for Stray Cat and Small Mouse.

Last, along comes Tired Donkey, carrying Mary. Mary asks, “Where will my baby be born?”

Kind Ox answers, “Come inside. There’s always room for a little one here.” The story ends with, “That cold winter’s night, beneath the star’s light…a Little One came for the world.”

The paintings by Jason Cockcroft make this book special by enhancing the text with their incredible, life-like detail.

What I Like: Everything. The text is very simple, yet powerful. And the illustrations are beautiful.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Publisher Info: Margaret K. McElderry, 2006; ISBN: 141692518X; Hardcover, $9.95

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O Christmas Tree

Most of us will remember singing "O Christmas Tree" in English or "O Tannenbaum," in its original German rendition. The book O Christmas Tree is one of several books in Augsburg Books Sing-It! series. Written by Debbie Trafton O'Neal, and illustrated by Ande Cook, O Christmas Tree simply states a line or phrase of the song on each page, with a fitting illustration. Even though the song is familiar, I had forgotten some of the lyrics. Of course we sing, "How lovely are your branches," but we also sing, "The sight of you at Christmastide/spreads hope and gladness far and wide." Even more importantly, we sing, "The gifts beneath you that I see,/remind me of God's love for me."

The book also includes decorating and craft ideas and instructions, including a handprint tree skirt, a pattern for paper chains shaped as Christmas trees, pipe cleaner stars, colored fire cones (to start fires with), and Christmas dream pillows. There is a page with song lyrics illustrated by corresponding actions, such as wiggling your fingers while singing "Your lights shine out so brightly," and waving your arms when singing "How lovely are your branches."

The last page contains sheet music for the song, along with the three verses in the book.

What I Like: I like the note at the beginning of the book reminding us of the greater purpose in reading the book and singing the song. It states, "As the evergreen tree remains green throughout the year, may it always remind you of God's never-changing love for you!"

The strength of this book lies in the illustrations. The pictures are bright, colorful and cheerful. People of many ethnic backgrounds are represented, and they all appear joyful and happy. We see Christmastime in city apartments and country houses being celebrated by brothers, sisters, parents and pets. The page that says gifts, "remind me of God's love for me" features a brightly drawn creche tucked under the Christmas tree, depicting Mary, Joseph, an angel, the three wise men and a cow and donkey surrounding the baby Jesus. The next page shows a family standing next to their Christmas tree, gazing out the window at a traditional church with a cross on the steeple and stained glass windows.

I also like the craft ideas at the back of the book. I personally am not very crafty and I always dread getting books with suggestions that are over my head. Of course, my children always want to try out the crafts, and we tend to end up with disasters more often than not. These suggestions are cute, well-explained, and simple enough even I would feel comfortable experimenting. The materials would be easy to find and inexpensive as well.

The actions to go with the song are a great idea. Even though I don't sing much, my kids love to "perform" and it's always nice to have a fun song with actions to show relatives and friends.

What I Dislike: Because I can't really carry a tune, I needed to find a recording of the song to properly enjoy the book with my children. The pictures are well-done and held their interest, but if a song is a central part of a book, I generally look for a CD to go with it. Also, there aren't many words per two-page spread, so it is hard to keep up with the song and still give ample time to look at all the great illustrations. It worked best to read through the book and look at the pictures, and then go back and listen to the song and try out the actions. However, this will probably only be an issue for those of you who are musically challenged like I am!

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: Listed as "Children"--I would say 4-10

Publisher Info: Augsburg Fortress, 2003; ISBN: 0-8066-4560-1; Hardcover; $8.99

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One Wintry Night

One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham, is one way to teach children the deeper meaning of Christmas - beyond wise men and shepherds and a special baby in a manger.

The book begins with a boy named Zeb, who barely makes it to a stranger's house in time to survive a snow blizzard. The stranger is an older woman, who happily cares for Zeb until the snow passes - and tells him the Christmas story as they wait.

She begins with the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden - saying it's because of what happened there that we needed a Savior. She tells him of the world's evil ways until one man, named Noah, began building an ark because God told him to - knowing all along the flood would not solve the problems only the Savior could. She tells of the chosen people, stuck as slaves in Egypt, and how God sent Moses to help rescue them; God gave them the Ten Commandments, but still planned to send these people a Savior to rescue them from from sin. Finally, she tells the familiar Christmas story with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. But she doesn't stop there. She also tells Jeb about Jesus' death on the cross - and what it meant.

The morning after the stranger tells Jeb all these things, the boy wakes up to a clear morning, and "one bright star was twinkling in the sky. It was dawn."

What I Like: Although my preschooler enjoyed this book, it wasn't a revelation for her because we read The Jesus Storybook Bible and the Big Picture Bible on a regular basis. Both these children's Bibles trace the need for Jesus from the beginning of time, and show how God gave hints about the Savior to come, beginning in the book of Genesis. However, if this is a newer concept to your child, One Wintry Night is a good introduction to the topic.

We especially enjoyed the absolutely splendid illustrations by Richard Jesse Watson, which go beyond the obvious and use lots of texture, realistic detail, and rich colors.

What I Dislike: The story of Jeb is thin, and only a pretext for retelling some Bible stories pointing toward Jesus. I wish Mrs. Graham had plumped up these sections of the book, making them more important to the message she was trying to convey.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: The publisher does not say, but I'd say preschool to adult.

Publishing Info: Baker Books, 2007; ISBN: 978-0801013065; hardback, $12.99

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The Comic Book Bible

The Comic Book Bible, written and illustrated by Rob Suggs and colored by Christopher Gray, is a truly unique Bible. The selection of Bible stories is extensive, and each one is told in roughly four pages. As the story progresses, the relevant Bible verse is stated at the top of the page.

The sentences are descriptive but not lengthy, and the vocabulary is basic enough for kids to understand. The illustrations are what you would expect from a comic book, but the faces are more expressive, particularly the eyes.

I was pleasantly surprised at the detail provided in each comic strip. For example, The Birth of Jesus discusses Mary's visit by the angel Gabriel, Joseph's fears, the journey to Bethlehem, and includes the fact that the inn was full because of the census before culminating in the well-known nativity scene.

The Comic Book Bible also contains a section of maps and other special features, such as the Ten Commandments, Family Life in Israel, the 23rd Psalm, Verses to Know, The Life of Jesus, and more.

Much information is packed into 263 pages. A really cool Bible!

What I Like: The comic book format really appealed to my boys, and I'd find them flipping through the pages with no prompting from me. I found this book a refreshing and fun way to learn the Bible, but I wonder if young girls would also enjoy the format. Let me know!

What I Dislike: Nothing. Some people might not prefer the King James Version of the scripture verse at the top of each page.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests ages 8 to 12, although I think the comic book style appeals to an even younger audience. A non-reader would enjoy it with a parent, so I'd say ages 5 to 10.

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, 2009; ISBN: 978-1-60260-685-2; Paperback $5.97.

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