Age 04-08. 4 Stars. There are a many well-written, poorly illustrated Bible storybooks, and even more well-illustrated versions which drift from the original meaning of the biblical text. Ruth Bell Graham’s Christmas Bible storybook, illustrated by award-winning artist Richard Jesse Watson, is visually one of the best Bible picture books I have seen, while remaining close to the original text of the Bible.

Age 00-04. 3 Stars. This book is a kind of combination of a traditional Nativity retelling and the popular board book Big Red Barn… The illustrations… depict a modern couple having a baby in an American-style barn… The text doesn’t flow as well as Brown’s other books, but it’s a pretty good one-time read.

Age adult. 5 Stars. Among the many books about building gingerbread houses, this is the best for beginners that I have found… This is an outstanding resource for a family gingerbread project.

Age 04-08. In this quiet celebration of familial love, an eight-year-old girl attends the Nutcracker ballet with her grandfather — the same outing he once took with her deceased mother… Bunting has a rare gift for capturing complex emotions and portraying them in a way that young children can understand through vicarious experience. In this wonderful story, she makes a profound statement about refusing to live in the past but instead dwelling in present relationships.

Age 04-08. Paul Maier is a professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University and the author of A Skeleton in God’s Closet, a historical-theological thriller for adults. This book brings his formidable expertise to bear on the subject of the Nativity, presenting the story’s historical validity at a grade school level.

Age 12-16. 5 Stars. In this poem Jesus, on his way to be crucified in Jerusalem, visits the innkeeper and hears his account of the Nativity. His story goes on, however, to dramatically describe Herod’s Slaughter of the Innocents (Matthew 2:16-18), in which the innkeeper lost his entire family and his right arm…. Piper draws together the stories of a joy-filled family, a terrible evil, and the great hope that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection bring to all who suffer under the reign of death and evil. Because of the violent content of the story, it may be better suited to teenagers than younger children.

Age 00-04. 4 Stars. The Story of Christmas tells the traditional Nativity story, pleasantly illustrated with a single sentence describing each important scene… This is not an essential addition to a Christian family’s observance of Christmas, but is a very nice read-aloud for very young listeners. It covers the events in a detailed enough way that they will be familiar when the listener is ready for a fuller version. Its illustrations are more detailed than other Nativity board books I have seen and ought to provide some interest for toddler “read-alone” time as well as read-aloud.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Andrew Peterson… puts the dreary “begats” into a fast-paced and funny bluegrass song. This book provides a joyous, lively illustrated rendition, with a cd version of the song included. The long historical story, presented as snapshots from a family photo album, builds to a dramatic visual climax of the Nativity, which is powerfully evocative of the transforming hope that Jesus brought.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. This sweet story tells about one family’s tradition of decking an outdoor Christmas tree with homemade, edible ornaments, then enjoying a hot-cocoa picnic with Christmas carols before leaving the tree for the wildlife… Like some of Bunting’s other stories, it verges on the sentimental, but is still a great addition to a Christmas reading basket.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. This book is a lovely rendition of the Nativity story… this is a beautiful read-aloud for a family Advent tradition.