All for the Newborn Baby (Christmas & Hanukkah) [Hardcover]

Phyllis Root (Author), Nicola Bayley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Christmas & Hanukkah

Mary sings a lullaby to the newborn baby Jesus as He lies in the manger, and in her song she describes how the world around Him is rejoicing at His birth.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ages 2-5. This delicately illustrated lullaby imagines what Mary might have sung to Jesus in the manger. Each page, addressed to the newborn, describes how an abundant world of animals and plants celebrates the child's birth: "Cherry tree / With branches bending / Offers cherries / Ripe and red. / Spider spins / A silken blanket, / Lays it on your / Manger bed." The addition of a musical score would have been a nice touch, but parents will likely come up with their own tune for this elegant, rhyming song that's expanded in glittering, detailed illustrations reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts. Gold borders filled with botanical ornaments frame soft, colorful nature scenes depicting joyous creatures mingling with the loving family. Although the author cites Christmas miracle tales as her inspiration, her soothing poem never mentions Jesus by name, emphasizing instead the love and astonishment that a new mother feels for her child. Young ones from diverse backgrounds will find themselves celebrated in this universal, joyful song. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st ed. US edition (October 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763600938
• ISBN-13: 978-0763600938
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,212,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phyllis Root has written many award-winning books for children, including TEN SLEEPY SHEEP, OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY, ONE DUCK STUCK, WHAT BABY WANTS, RATTLETRAP CAR, and BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD, winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Visual Feast, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All for the Newborn Baby (Christmas & Hanukkah) (Hardcover)

This is an absolutely stunning children's book, and I say that with an awful lot of beautiful books in our family library. The "story"/song that accompanies the illustrations takes a quick backseat to the visual feast but is fine and true to its religious origins. I haven't yet tested this out on my 6 year old (Christmas being a bit away), but my take on this book is that because of the lack of ACTION! he won't appreciate it unless we block out a lot of the bustle of the day and get into a cozy space that allows for more concentration than the usual pace of our evenings. However, I think it's good to have a book so lovely that it compels you to try to create that space with your child, at least during one season every year.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Year's best Christmas book, any-season gift for new mothers, December 14, 2000

By 

Jane R Thomas (Minneapolis, Minnesota United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All for the Newborn Baby (Christmas & Hanukkah) (Hardcover)

The text of this book by Phyllis Root draws on Christmas tradions from all over the world. Animals of all sorts rejoice in the birth of the child: this idea that all nature celebrates a great event or mourns a great loss is an ancient convention in Western literature. Root's simple, beautiful language takes no back seat to anything, including the art, exquisite though the illustrations certainly are. Nicola Bayley has drawn on art in medieval manuscripts for the design of the book, using complicated borders around the pages and jewel-toned miniatures set in a filigree surround. It shouldn't be considered only a Christmas book or a religious text, for its theme of joy in beginnings and the hope inherent in the birth of a baby is universal. It would be an lovely gift for adults as well as children, particularly for new mothers, at any time of year.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, December 1, 2005

By 

M. - See all my reviews

This review is from: All for the Newborn Baby (Christmas & Hanukkah) (Hardcover)

This book is sweet and gorgeous. My daughter and I both love the art work. While the text is charming, it is rather simple and doesn't really say much about the story of Christ's birth.
However, the story of Jesus' birth intertwined with the harmony of nature is a unique and lovely supplement to other Christmas stories.