The Twelve Prayers of Christmas
Many were present the night Jesus Christ was born. Joseph and Mary were there, their hearts filled with peace. So were the donkey, the lamb, and the three Wise Men. Even the Star of Bethlehem looked on, casting a single heavenly beam of light upon the scene. This book gives voice to every creature present on that miraculous night and shares their twelve special prayers to the Christ Child.
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Many were present the night Jesus Christ was born. Joseph and Mary were there, their hearts filled with peace. So were the donkey, the lamb, and the three Wise Men. Even the Star of Bethlehem looked on, casting a single heavenly beam of light upon the scene. This book gives voice to every creature present on that miraculous night and shares their twelve special prayers to the Christ Child.School Library JournalPreS-Gr 2–This book features 12 verses, written from the varying points of view of Mary, Joseph, the donkey, the innkeeper, a shepherd, the three wise men, the angel, the star, the lamb, and the Christ Child. Rhyming text for each prayer is inserted in an enclosed box on beautifully illustrated spreads. Each narrator takes his or her turn in order, with Mary coming first (“My heart’s filled with peace./I know there’s a plan./We’ll find our way home/as soon as we can”) and the baby Jesus last (“I was born in a stable,/in a simple abode,/without a gold crown/nor rich, royal robe”). The painterly double-page illustrations make good use of light and shadow and effectively convey the warm and soothing tone of the text. Appropriate for specialized religious collections, this is an additional purchase for public libraries.–Diane Olivo-Posner, Los Angeles Public Library
\ School Library JournalPreS-Gr 2–This book features 12 verses, written from the varying points of view of Mary, Joseph, the donkey, the innkeeper, a shepherd, the three wise men, the angel, the star, the lamb, and the Christ Child. Rhyming text for each prayer is inserted in an enclosed box on beautifully illustrated spreads. Each narrator takes his or her turn in order, with Mary coming first (“My heart’s filled with peace./I know there’s a plan./We’ll find our way home/as soon as we can”) and the baby Jesus last (“I was born in a stable,/in a simple abode,/without a gold crown/nor rich, royal robe”). The painterly double-page illustrations make good use of light and shadow and effectively convey the warm and soothing tone of the text. Appropriate for specialized religious collections, this is an additional purchase for public libraries.–Diane Olivo-Posner, Los Angeles Public Library\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsThe Nativity is retold by 12 different characters, each offering a rhyming, first-person view of the events of the special night. The narrators include all the familiar characters-Mary, Joseph, Wise Men, etc.-as well as other less-expected choices, such as the donkey, a lamb and the Christmas star. The text concludes with the Christ Child's own commentary on the scene of his birth. Bernardin sets each poem within a double-page spread illustrating that character's part of the story, with dramatic lighting and deep, jewel tones adding excitement to the atmosphere. The poems convey much of the deep feelings of the event, but they all use the same rhyme scheme and tone, which doesn't help to delineate the different characters. Still, Sunday-school teachers and Christmas-pageant directors will find this useful. (Picture book/religion. 4-9)\ \
