panda_incognito's review
4.0
This well-designed reference guide introduces children to the historical context for Christmas, moving through the account in the gospel of Luke. The book explains key concepts, defines vocabulary words, and shares background information. The sidebars are attractive and easy to read, and Alison Mitchell packs a lot of information and photos into the pages without any of this seeming cluttered. All about Christmas will appeal to kids who like the DK Eyewitness series, and unlike many recent imitators, this book isn't flashy or overstimulating.
All about Christmas will appeal to many elementary-aged children who enjoy reading nonfiction and want to learn more about the factual basis for their faith. The pages about Roman history are especially clarifying, helping kids understand the political and social backdrop for the Christmas story. My one critique is that it would have been helpful if the author had included more information about why we should trust the biblical accounts of Jesus's life. When Mitchell introduces Luke, she explains how he wrote his gospel based on eyewitness stories, but she could have enhanced this with a kid-level summary of evidence against common myths, such as the claim that the gospel manuscripts changed dramatically over time.
This book is a great resource for any family or Sunday school class that wants to explore the historical basis for Christmas and the Christian faith. It will appeal to a broad age range, especially if parents simplify it for younger kids and leave out some of the more complex information when reading it aloud. Elementary-aged kids will enjoy reading this to themselves and looking at the different pictures, maps, and diagrams, and the book has strong reread potential because it is so information-rich and thorough.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
All about Christmas will appeal to many elementary-aged children who enjoy reading nonfiction and want to learn more about the factual basis for their faith. The pages about Roman history are especially clarifying, helping kids understand the political and social backdrop for the Christmas story. My one critique is that it would have been helpful if the author had included more information about why we should trust the biblical accounts of Jesus's life. When Mitchell introduces Luke, she explains how he wrote his gospel based on eyewitness stories, but she could have enhanced this with a kid-level summary of evidence against common myths, such as the claim that the gospel manuscripts changed dramatically over time.
This book is a great resource for any family or Sunday school class that wants to explore the historical basis for Christmas and the Christian faith. It will appeal to a broad age range, especially if parents simplify it for younger kids and leave out some of the more complex information when reading it aloud. Elementary-aged kids will enjoy reading this to themselves and looking at the different pictures, maps, and diagrams, and the book has strong reread potential because it is so information-rich and thorough.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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