Sometimes a book or movie will tug at your heartstrings and cause you to break a steadfast rule you live by. Which is you will find me adding to our Christmas Gift Guide 2023: The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story by James Newman Gray (Illustrator). Instead of the day after Thanksgiving when we should all begin celebrating Christmas. Come join me this mooring and let’s read about the animals in The Friendly Animals I received for this review.
In our Homeschool we conduct Bible Studies once a week and read the Bible and discuss what we learn. To mix things up this week Charlie and I will be reading The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story. I can’t wait to see the surprise on Charlie’s face when I hand him a book to read instead of the Bible.
To prepare the class I sat down this morning and read The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story. I wish you could see the cover of the book with all the animals on i and Jesus in a swaddling blanket. The background is a nice blue and you can see the night sky in the background with Owls up in the beams of the barn.
I liked being reminded Baby Jesus was made of a stable of wood which Charlie and I can make in his Art Class giving Charlie to learn woodworking and we can look for a class to take for a Homeschool Field Trip. Would you like to take the class with us? The animals stood around baby Jesus watching over him.
We learned the Donkey carried the mom up and down. The Donkey said I carried her safely to Bedhelm. The Cow let us know he gave him his manger for a bed. Do you think that is all the Cow’s did? You will have to read The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story to see what else he did for Jesus.
There was a Sheep and no, I am not going to tell you what he did you need to read the book to find out. Did you know there was even a Dove. A Camel which I wish I had the opportunity to see. How about you? I hope you enjoy getting to know the gifts the animals gave to Emmanuel. You will be seeing Charlie study all the animals in our Homeschool this year.
I learned this story came from a hymn that is most likely a twelfth-century Latin Song “Orientis-Partibus” which first appeared in France and is manly attributed to Pierre de Corbeil, Bishop o Sens which Charlie and I will be researching this year in our Homeschool Language Arts Class. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about the book.
I hope you will purchase your own copy to share with your family not only during Christmas but every day of the year. As all need to know about Jesus. The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story is for smaller children although both children of all ages should read this story to learn about Jesus and the meaning of Christmas
About:
A gentle retelling of the first Christmas through the perspective of the animals in the barn who offered their own gifts to the baby Jesus. Joyful and sweetly illustrated, The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story is perfect for those looking to teach little ones about the nativity.
The Friendly Animals: A Christmas Story is taken from a centuries-old folk song now brightly and gently illustrated. This traditional Christmas story is perfect to read to small children during the holidays to teach about the nativity and the heart-felt gifts the animals at the manger gave to baby Jesus, sharing their kindness and love.
Born and raised in Sheffield, England, James Newman Gray studied illustration at Wolverhampton University after a childhood spent sketching and painting. He went on to have a long career as an in-house illustrator for several greeting card publishers, including Hallmark cards, working on branded characters and also on original illustration. Over the years, this taught him to develop many different styles and to work in many different media. Although a large part of James’ illustrations is done digitally now, he still likes to do line-art in his sketchpad and get the paints out and make marks.
