Mary's Baby

by Jane Chapman

Book Overview

A simple retelling of the Nativity Story features a poetic text and primitive-style illustrations that follow Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, and the arrival of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590992880
• ISBN13: 9780590992886
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 24 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Very Nice Book for Babies and other Young Folk - a review of "Mary's Baby"

One of the things I particularly like about this book are the depictions of the people. I, for one, have never run across a story of the Nativity that ever depicted the people of Bethlehem as being sympathetic to the young couple's plight. (What a lovely thought that they would be.) In this book, however, when Joseph announces that "The Baby is coming" he gets a totally different reaction than when he just inquires about getting a room. Suddenly the indifference is gone. You see concerned faces peering out of the windows, wondering just what is going on. At the door, where previously the innkeeper had been standing sternly, one sees his wife rushing outside to join the young couple. `The baby is coming?" the innkeeper repeats? As if he suddenly grasps what Joseph's real concern is, he says, "Go to the stable quick!" And instead of Mary and Joseph tottering off in isolation to the stable, the artist shows the innkeepers wife with her arms around Mary, helping her to the stable: the innkeepers own child is clinging to her skirts as we might image a child might cling when his mother sudden rushes off. Joseph follows, looking very concerned. As a mom I like the idea that Mary might have had a little womanly assistance and companionship during these hours, and I certainly like presenting a kinder view of the people of the world to my children. The purist might not find everything in this book. The text does not follow the King James version of the story, or any other standardized telling that I am familiar with. There is no mention, for example, of taxes as an explanation for why Joseph and Mary were going to Bethlehem in the first place, but then again most young children wouldn't have a clue as to what taxes are anyway. Four Stars. A good read-aloud, this little book tells of the coming of the baby Jesus in a very sweet, humane, and abbreviated, child-friendly fashion.

Available through Scholastic this month!

This book is available via Scholastic Books on this month's FIREFLY paper (the preschooler age sheet)

Beautiful, sends the message of Christ's wondrous birth

I'm so disappointed that this title is out of print! It is beautifully illustrated and simply written, conveying the excitement and wonder of the arrival of a very special new baby. The announcement of Mary, Joseph and the innkeeper that "The baby is coming!" bring home Jesus' humanity, while the same announcement by the angels, shepherds and wise men proclaims his divinity. The beautiful and simple words and illustrations are perfect for our three year old. The characters have the skin color of the people of the land of Jesus' birth. This accuracy is too often missing from children's books about Jesus.