Listen in as Gabriel paces the halls of heaven, pondering God's message to Mary; rejoice with Elizabeth and Zechariah as their "impossible" prayers are answered; and join the shepherds as they shout for joy! The award-winning poet offers a fresh vision of Christmas for 4- to 7-year-olds and their delighted parents. 32 pages, hardcover with read-along CD from Zondervan.

Step into the shoes of Mary, Joseph, the Innkeeper, Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and more as we poetically recount the wonder of the birth of Jesus through the eyes of those who were witness. Audio CD included.

Nikki Grimes is the prolific and award-winning author of more than fifty books. A Coretta Scott King Award winner and recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Children's Poetry, many of her titles have been cited as Notable Books by the American Library Association. She is renowned for her use of poetry to tell a cohesive story, for her insightful writing, and for her ability to connect with her readers. She currently resides in California. Eric Velasquez, the son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents, was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in Harlem in New York City. As a child, his love for doodling and drawing was strongly encouraged by his mother. From his grandmother he inherited a love of music and from his father he developed a love of movies. Growing up in this setting, Eric says, 'Becoming an artist was a natural choice for me. I have never thought of being anything else.'

Voices of Christmas by Nikki Grimes is a creative retelling of the birth of Christ that includes multiple "voices" of Christmas, each page highlighting a different character in the Christmas story. The headlines of each page are sections of Scripture, and then the story shares an inner-monologue from the character represented in Scripture. Examples include the angel Gabriel, a woman who sees Mary and Joseph leave for Bethlehem, the shepherds, the innkeeper, and King Herod.

The colors of the book often are dark greys, blues, or browns, which is effective when highlighting the morning star or the aura around the Christ child. The exception to this are the two pages devoted to Elizabeth, mother of John, which are vibrant and favor yellow, gold and white.

The story concludes focusing on "You" and includes the reader in the storytelling, encouraging him to identify with one of the people highlighted in the book. Beware, that while Scripture supports some of the monologues in the story, the majority are fictional and not actually found in the New Testament. The book is appropriate for the 4-7 age range. – Emily Moore, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

Grimes presents 14 poems, each preceded by a Bible verse, telling the story of the Nativity through the voices of Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, the innkeeper, Herod, and so on. The poems, mostly unrhymed free verse, use simple language and a rolling rhythm that makes them a pleasure to read aloud. Gaspar, one of the Wise Men, begins his verse with 'All those years of poring over/charts and scrolls on astronomy,/then suddenly, it was as if/the Morning Star/leapt from the page/and rose into the sky.' The realistic paintings, rendered in muted nighttime shades of blue, gray, brown, and yellow, depict intense people in the midst of a momentous event, their glowing faces bowed in reverence or raised to the heavens. This lovely and heartfelt book adds a deeper perspective to the oft-told story and will enhance most holiday collections.--Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library -- School Library Journal



Grimes uses her talent as a poet to retell the Nativity story from several different viewpoints, each one a distinct voice with its own style. Fourteen poems in free verse convey the story, from the announcement of the impending birth by the angel Gabriel to the final poem directed to readers. The attractive design includes a double-page spread for each character, with a short Bible verse and the poem set in gold type against dark backgrounds and the illustration of the character attractively integrated into the spread. Each character is a real person with his or her own concerns and fears, and the whole of the Nativity story is conveyed through the sum of their individual stories. Velasquez's striking, dramatic illustrations add to the personality of the characters, who are clearly of Middle Eastern ethnicity. (CD) (Picture book/religion. 6 & up) -- Kirkus Reviews

http://www.christianbook.com/voices-of-christmas-book-and/nikki-grimes/9780310711926/pd/711926

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product_review

__USERID__

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/ask_and_answer

• Children >> Children's Books >> Bible Related >> Picture Books
• Children >> Children's Books >> Picture Books >> Bible Related
• Children >> Children's Books >> Picture Books >> Seasonal
• Children >> Children's Books >> Seasonal >> Picture Books
• Closeouts >> Children
• Start A New Christianbook.com Search

I'm the author/artist and I want to review Voices of Christmas--Book and CD.