The Story of Christmas: A Celebration of the Birth of Jesus

Baby-Toddler–This simple picture book covers the basic points of the Christian story behind Christmas, starting from an angel’s promise to Mary that she will have a baby who will be the Son of God and ending with a mention of how Jesus, Mary, and Joseph returned to Nazareth years later for Jesus’s ministry. The book elides over some of the more complex elements of the story, such as the poverty of the family and what the nature of King Herod’s “evil plan” looked like, in favor of an upbeat tale with little to no dramatic tension to speak of—an impression reinforced by Gledhill’s friendly, colorful, smiley art. The language is so straightforward that it can sometimes feel flat, although occasionally the book tries to bring in words and phrases from the source material. For someone looking for an uncomplicated telling of the Christian Christmas story, this book offers a reliable depiction with little additional flair.