I Am Christmas [Hardcover]

Nancy White Carlstrom (Author), Lori McElrath-Eslick (Illustrator)

Book Description

This lovely picture book retells the story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus in simple yet lyrical prose accompanied by dramatic oil paintings. Complete with a selection of Scripture references, I am Christmas imparts the true meaning of Christmas to small children in a wonderful, powerful new way.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ages 5^-7. Carlstrom retells the story of Christ's birth in original prose, relating not just the familiar Christmas journey, but also the religious significance it holds today. Rich oil paintings bring out the setting of the story and its meaning as Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem to be counted. Each lovely illustration fills one-half of a double-page spread and spills onto the other page, which ends in a band of white holding the seven or eight lines of text. McElrath-Eslick reveals the beauty of the landscape--its colors, its bounty--and the faith of the people who live there. Carlstrom uses many names and symbols of Christ in her text and highlights them for added focus, but she uses them in ways our ears may be unaccustomed to (such as "I am the light / they lift in the night / that brightens the darkness / as they walk this way / up hill and down / going to the town / to be counted" ). Ultimately, however, her words subtly work a change, carrying the reader to the very satisfactory "I am beginning, I am end, / the message foretold / scratched in sand / etched in gold--/ I am the story, I am the song." Kathy Broderick

Review

Nancy White Carlstrom uses simple yet lyrical prose to retell the story of Christmas. Lori McElrath-Eslick's dramatic oil paintings resonate with the power of this moving story. Complete with a selection of Scripture references, I Am Christmas is a beautiful picture book which imparts the true meaning of Christmas to children ages 4 to 8 in a most wonderful way as they journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and experience again the wondrous birth of the Christ child. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802850758
• ISBN-13: 978-0802850751
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,396,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy White Carlstrom started writing when she was seven years old and has been writing ever since. She says, "I write when I am happy and when I am sad, and especially when I celebrate God's creation. When you read This Is the Day, I hope it will cause you to look at your world and be surprised by wonder every day of the week."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different names for Christ sprinkle this Nativity story, September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: I Am Christmas (Hardcover)

As church librarian, I bought this book for our church library for this Christmas season and I am glad I did. Most children have several books of the Nativity, but this one has a slightly diifferent take on it. Each page of text calls Jesus a different name, like "bread", "vine," "life," etc. The text is best read slowly and meaningfully as it is written very well, and the prose is delicious on the tongue. At the end, it lists all the various words for Christ found in the book with scriptural references. The Illustrations are lovely, freely done oil paintings. If you want to purchase a truly meaningful book for kids ages 4-8 for Christmas, I can suggest this as being a fine choice. Nice job to Nancy Carlstrom and the Illustrator, Lois McElrath-Eslick.