A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith
| A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Madeline Wheatley
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| Summary: A retelling with a twist of the traditional Christmas story brought to life with glorious illustrations by award winning author Brian Wildsmith. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: October 2013 |
| Publisher: Oxford University Press | |
| ISBN: 9780192736260 | |
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A Christmas Story starts with a birth in a stable. Not the arrival of the baby Jesus, but the birth of a donkey. Like most young creatures, the little donkey wants to be near to his mother. So when she leaves the stable to carry her owner on a journey to Bethlehem her baby misses her. With help from a young girl, Rebecca, the little donkey manages to follow the family to Bethlehem and all the events of the nativity are seen through their eyes.
The addition of Rebecca and the donkey makes for a retelling of the Christmas story that is ideally pitched for young listeners. The traditional elements are all there but with added interest that puts the focus firmly on mothers and babies. The children who looked at it with me were hooked from the start.
This is a luxurious edition of Wildsmith’s book, first published in 1989 and reissued in time for Christmas 2013. In addition to the story, it includes a simple set of card cut outs to make a nativity scene. In the book itself, lavish use of gold brightens all the pages and contrasts well with the darkness of some of the traveller’s journey. The detail in the pictures means that each turn of the page brings something interesting to talk about. My favourite is the illustration of the donkey’s birth. Look at the detail in the rafters of the stable and the straw beneath him, while through the window another story unfolds.
If you are looking for a book to bring more to the Christmas celebrations than presents and Santa then A Christmas Story is for you. Enjoy it!
If you are looking for a completely traditional version of the nativity without twists try The First Christmas by Jan Pienkowski.
Look at our Top Ten Books with a Christmas Theme for wider choices.
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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