The Very First Christmas

The Very First Christmas is a Gold Medallion Book Award winner. This award recognizes "excellence in evangelical Christian literature." In other words, it guarantees a great book! Written by Paul L. Maier, Ph.D. (professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University), this picture book is more than your typical account of Mary and Joseph. It is geared toward kids who really want to know the story, down to the details.

Chris, a boy of about eight years old, is filled with questions and wants to know the truth. He tells his mother: "I want you to tell me stories about real people and real things that really happened." She starts with the story of the very first Christmas. Chris thinks he already knows it, but when they pull out the Bible and begin to read, he realizes the story he knows is just the beginning. As they read the actual accounts, their dialog reveals an accurate portrayal of what really happened. Who was Caesar Augustus? Why was Mary pregnant if she and Joseph weren't married yet? Who was the father of Mary's baby? How old was Mary? Was Joseph really a carpenter? What year was Jesus born? Were the wise men at the stable? These are just some of the questions Chris asks. His mother lovingly offers answers when she can and estimated guesses when the Bible doesn't give specific answers.

Francisco Ordaz illustrated this book with life-like paintings filled with detail and color. His illustrating credits include contributions to films such as E.T. and Return of the Jedi.

What I Like: The accuracy! This book is filled with facts. It's wonderful! The illustrations are great, too. They're colorful and filled with detail. I also like the tone of the book. Chris's mother makes it comfortable to ask questions. She encourages it which helps kids want to ask more questions and get to the truth of this and other stories.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Age Appeal: 5-10

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2003; ISBN: 0758606168; Paperback; $6.99

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Special Info: This book is available in several formats. Christianbook.com offers it in paperback, boardbook or hardback.