Natasha Kennedy and her collaborator have done it again! This a great new book which draws children in with attractive pictures and intriguing text, helping them to explore the wonder of the Christian message. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lexham Press book on The Apostles’ Creed for all God’s children, which gives the traditional text of this ancient proclamation, line by line, with a statement alongside it from Ben Myers, which explains its significance.
This time Natasha Kennedy worked with Todd R. Hains, using the wise men’s search for Jesus as its theme. As in her other books, on each double page there is a fat cat hidden somewhere, giving children something to look for, and leading them to explore the page as they listen to the story, or read it for themselves.
As with all FatCat books, Jesus and the characters portrayed are of different nationalities and are definitely not all white Anglo Saxons!
As the story develops, new animals or people appear, joining the search for the King of Christmas. We discover that he is not in the stars, or the sea, or at the feast of the rich people. He isn’t sitting on a throne, or even among the teachers at the temple.
We find him as a baby in a manger, where animals eat, but not only there. He is seen on a cross, between two criminals, but isn’t to be found in a grave, after he dies. There is a picture of the resurrected Jesus reading God’s Word, and another of him sharing bread and wine, on the last page of the story, where we learn that today we meet him in his Word. The King of Christmas is here!
I like the way the story celebrates Jesus’ birth, but leads us to his death and resurrection, and presence with us today.
Each of the books in this series begins with an introduction for parents and ends with a short liturgy for a family to enjoy together.
The books are created for four to eight year olds, but you could easily use them with younger children.
I highly recommend The King of Christmas and am sure that parents and children will enjoy going through it many times.