A Donkey’s Little Tale
A Donkey’s Little Tale by R. Mitchell Scott is an adorable, simple telling of the Christmas story from the perspective of the donkey carrying Mary to Bethlehem.
I never thought about how the donkey might view the stable not as an inferior resting place but as a delight. I know my own animals are fond of their dry, clean stall and sweet-smelling hay. Perhaps Mary’s donkey was just as happy to have such a place to sleep the night of Christ’s birth.
I loved the illustrations in this book — designed by the author in clay and translated into sketches and final illustrations by Brittany Huskey — and the rhyming tale would be easy for even young children to follow along with.
The Manger Mouse
Most who know me well know that I think mice are just adorable, especially tiny little field mice and even the trouble-making ones I find in my barn. So a children’s Christmas book about mice seems right up my alley.
The Manger Mouse by Sarah Martin Byrd tells the story of a young stable mouse whose job it is to prepare the manger for the Baby Jesus on that first Christmas so long ago. The story teaches children not only about the birth of Christ but also about being “called” to serve our Lord and Savior.
Beautifully illustrated with pastels by Debbie Wall, this is a pleasant tale of a special little mouse and his encounter with the King of Kings.
Chesed’s Order
I wasn’t sure what I would think about J. Aaron Culpepper’s Chesed’s Order, but I found myself enjoying the children’s book. It is definitely full of narrative, not nearly as short as some other children’s books. And the illustrations aren’t my favorite. But the rich vocabulary used in this book had me reading with great pleasure.
Words like lowliest, peculiarity, pensively, didactic, acquiescent, foolery and herald.
The book reminded me quite fondly of another childhood favorite, The Littlest Angel, which also had such unique and rich verbiage. As a child, I listened to my mother read that book aloud every Christmas Eve, transfixed by the words, even if I didn’t understand them all. And it is precisely this that make Chesed’s Order stand out among children’s books.
I received copies of A Donkey’s Little Tale, The Manger Mouse, and Chesed’s Order from Ambassador International, but I was not otherwise compensated for this review. All writing, thoughts, and opinions are solely mine.
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I’m always looking for ways to bring big concepts of faith into our home on Fiona’s level. She so young, figuring out how to explain something like a conscience is really hard. In Your Magnificent Chooser, pastor and author John Ortberg brings the concept of will to a concrete level.
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