THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS

Originally published in 1998 with illustrations by Lorraine Wells, then republished in 2010 with art by Rebecca Thornburgh, Pingry’s Nativity story sees new life with fresh artwork by Buckingham.

A brown-skinned family gathers on Christmas and learns the story of Jesus’ birth, from the angel telling Mary that she will have a child, to Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem, to, finally, the Wise Men celebrating the new baby’s birth. At the end, the present-day family exchanges gifts as a sign of love for each other and celebrates Jesus’ birthday. The somewhat bland text treads familiar ground; this is a story that’s been told and retold many times, though it does break the tale down into digestible pieces for young children. Because the explanations are fairly simple, it may not be helpful to those seeking to learn about the holiday. The illustrations, however, are cheery and warm. Notably, the biblical figures, except for a couple of light-skinned angels, are depicted in varying shades of brown skin—a welcome change from books about the Nativity that portray characters as White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Worth wading through the text for the artwork, which offers a more inclusive portrayal of the Nativity.