A Song in Bethlehem

by Marni McGee, JASON COCKCROFT (Illustrator)

Overview

ONE CHILL EVENING IN BETHLEHEM, young Naomi hears of an amazing sight: at the inn's stable, there are three men rich as kings, with rubies round their necks and gold on their fingers. Eager, Naomi rushes to catch a glimpse. But by the time she arrives, the men are gone.Yet Naomi discovers a different treasure: a baby boy, with parents kind and wise. And when she receives the gift of a flute from the baby and his family, her life is transformed forever and her world is full of music. It is a night full of wonders. It is the first Christmas.A Song in Bethlehem is a lyrical and stunning tale of the strength of love and compassion, filled with all the magic of Christmas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375985249
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/26/2011
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marni McGee is the author of award-winning picture books, easy readers, and poetry. Her books include While Angels Watch, illustrated by TimMacNaughton, Winston the Book Wolf, illustrated by Ian Beck and Forest Child, illustrated by A. Scott Bonfill. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.Jason Cockcroft is an award-winning illustrator of many books, including Jason and the Golden Fleece by James Riordan, Billywise by Judith Nicolls, Snow Ponies by Cynthia Cotten, and Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell. He lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

This tender tale of a street urchin's wondrous encounter with the Holy Family hits all the right holiday notes. Naomi, a beggar girl eager to spy the royal visitors rumored to be in a nearby stable, rushes over only to find a sleeping woman and a baby-and some gold coins. She's caught stealing, but rather than meting out punishment, the man who apprehends her offers Naomi a meager meal and an invitation: "Come. There's someone I want you to see." Naomi is entranced by the newborn, and before the family heads from the manger out into the night, she is astonished to receive from them a special gift, a wooden flute that she almost instantly knows how to play. Cockcroft's (Room for a Little One) photo-realistic acrylics set a dreamy tone. Accents of nearly transparent flecks of paint create the effect of watching the drama unfold in a snow globe. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4-When Naomi, a hungry beggar girl, goes to the inn's stable to see "kings," she finds a couple with a newborn child and steals a shiny coin. Instead of punishing her, the adults feed and befriend her. They introduce her to their child and give her a "blessed wooden flute," which was given to him. She plays it so sweetly that people give her coins-a solution to her poverty. Cockcroft's photorealistic and luminescent paintings are filled with a sparkling atmosphere and further heighten the miraculous feeling of the story. Unfortunately, the book is marred by grammatical errors and some awkward wording.-Maureen Wade, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

This original Christmas story with a Nativity setting features a girl as the main character, a welcome addition to the flock of stories about visitors to the Manger. Naomi is a beggar girl who hears about the Magi arriving to see the Christ Child. When she goes to the stable and tries to steal a gold coin from the gifts of the Magi, Joseph and Mary meet Naomi's attempted theft with kindness and forgiveness. Naomi meets the Christ Child, sings a long-forgotten lullaby to him and then walks out of Bethlehem with Joseph, Mary and the baby. They give her a wooden flute that had been given to the baby by a shepherd, and Naomi is able to play music immediately, earning coins through her newfound talent. The text implies that this gift of music is a blessing from the Christ Child to help the girl with her future. The story is a moving one, although the final spread is overly emotional in both words and illustration. Soft-focus illustrations of the nighttime story are suffused with blue light and highlighted with tiny flecks of white that suggest magical starlight. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews