The Christmas Story

The Christmas Story

illustrated by Sheilah Beckett

We still have our Christmas decorations up, so it's not too late to read anther Christmas book.  This one is a retelling of the Nativity story beautifully illustrated by Sheilah Beckett.  I can always spot her distinctive style when I'm digging through books at the thrift store and I snatch them up.  Here is a fascinating bio about her and her work:  http://femaleillustrators.blogspot.com/2010/05/sheilah-beckett-fairy-tale-career.html 

I'm also a fan of her Facebook page:  The Art of Sheilah Beckett

I would LOVE if there was a large coffee table book collection of her artwork (sort of like the Mary Blair one we have which Madeleine likes so much). 

 Other books illustrated by Sheila Beckett:

The Twelve Days of Christmas

A Child's Story of the Nativity

Christmas books just don't get any more beautiful than this!  Masha's illustrations are embellished with gold and the pages shine. 

A Child's Story of the Nativity

illustrated by Masha 1943 

The story, adhering to scripture, starts with Mary as a young maiden. It's also one of the few versions that show the wise men visiting later, when Jesus is a bit older.  I love taking this one out to read and display every December.

Jesus, the Little New Baby

Jesus

The Little New Baby

Mary Edna Lloyd

pictures by Grace Paull

An unassuming version of the nativity for younger folks.  Sweet and simple with vintage illustrations.

The First Christmas

The First Christmas 

Robbie Trent

pictures by Marc Simont

 Sometimes sweet and simple is best.  This book was originally published in 1948.  It tells the Christmas story in an easy to read way and ends with the hymn "Away in a Manger".  I thought the illustration style looked familiar and sure enough Marc Simont also did the pictures for The 13 Clocks.

 As much as I love elaborate illustrations, I also appreciate the simplicity of books like this.

The Friendly Beasts

 The Friendly Beasts

illustrations by Tomie dePaola  1990

 An old English Christmas carol about the animals around the stable when Jesus was born, illustrated to perfection by Tomie dePaola.  I love the frank faces of the animals staring at you from the page. 

Visions of Christmas

This is a really neat Christmas book.  Various Renaissance artists are represented in beautiful triptych paintings that fold open on the pages.  Each artwork corresponds with verses from scripture showing the annunciation, the visitation, the nativity, adoration of the shepherds, the epiphany, and the flight to Egypt.

Visions of Christmas 

A Renaissance Nativity

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers 1997

The first page describes what a triptych is:  an image in three parts.   Folding triptychs, where two hinged wings flank a central panel, were a very popular form of devotional painting in the fifteenth century.  The more important interiors of the triptych could be protected by closing the wings; the exteriors, which were usually exposed to dirt and burning candles, were painted less colorfully or in monochrome to suggest stone sculpture and finished with simple ungilded frames.  Some "visions" in this book reunite the wings and panels of divided triptychs, allowing the viewer for the first time in many years the experience of unfolding the wings to reveal the contrasting glories within.

(Charlotte likes it because it's like a flap book.)

The index of paintings in the back gives biographical information about the artists and their work.

Christmas in a Barn

Charlotte is singing "Away in a Manger" at our church's Christmas program this year.  She's very excited that she gets to dress as a sheep.  Along with practicing her song, we've been reading this sweet book.  It's illustrated by one of our favorites, Barbara Cooney, and tells the story of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus born in the stable with all the animals around.

Christmas in the Barn 

Margaret Wise Brown

Pictures by Barbara Cooney 1952

Santa's Favorite Story

An interesting idea, Santa tells a bunch of animals in the woods his favorite Christmas story- the story of Christ's birth.  The watercolor illustrations are quite charming.

Santa's Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas

Hisako Aoki 1982

illustrated by Ivan Gantschev