Description

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Elegant, simple text and luminous art make this picture book an almost hymn-like meditation on the meaning of Christmas and the Nativity story, by the author of Christmas in the Manger.

See this small gray donkey,
this long, dusty road,
this promising star.

See this man, Joseph,
this woman, Mary.
Feel the frost on
this clear Bethlehem night.

"Wonderful for bedtime and lapsit storytimes, this book is a gentle retelling of the Nativity for very young readers who are learning about Jesus for the first time."--School Library Journal

"Godwin directly addresses readers, beckoning them to witness the sights and sounds of the first Christmas through their senses... It’s a lyrical and understated account of the Nativity that will leave readers feeling as though they are witnessing something momentous."--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

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Laura Godwin is the author of many books for children, including the Doll People series with Ann M. Martin. She lives and works in New York City. While she has collaborated with William Low as his editor on many children's books, This First Christmas Night is their first project together.

William Low is the author and illustrator of Daytime Nighttime, Machines Go to Work, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Old Penn Station, as well as a four-time Silver Medal winner at the Society of Illustrators. He teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Praise For…

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"Wonderful for bedtime and lapsit storytimes, this book is a gentle retelling of the Nativity for very young readers who are learning about Jesus for the first time.--School Library Journal

"From the opening page, Godwin directly addresses readers, beckoning them to witness the sights and sounds of the first Christmas through their senses... It’s a lyrical and understated account of the Nativity that will leave readers feeling as though they are witnessing something momentous."--Publishers Weekly

"Godwin’s direct-address text pulls listeners into this super-simple yet lyrical retelling of the Nativity story... Illustrations perfectly match the text, evoking the humble setting yet also reinforcing the sense of reverence and import. This is a moving and memorable Christmas story."--The Horn Book