How Many Miles To Bethlehem? [Paperback]

Kevin Crossley-Holland (Author), Peter Malone (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2004

A wonderful story of the trip to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. Beautiful and very colorful illustrations and the cover art is the same as earlier published hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043972063X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439720632
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,402,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated, January 13, 2005

By 

L. Bakke (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Many Miles To Bethlehem? (Hardcover)

I'm compelled to write a review in favor of this book because of the review from TX. This book is beautifully illustrated and the analogies and alliteration make it wonderful to read aloud. Each page gives a different perspective on the miraculous birth. It will not be the ONLY book that will teach your child about the true meaning of Christmas, but it is a fresh take on the traditional tale. Probably more interesting for 6-8 year-olds than preschoolers. We plan to make this book part of our annual Christmas tradition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Christmas story for kids, November 6, 2009

By 

Christine M. Irvin (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Many Miles To Bethlehem? (Hardcover)

How Many Miles to Bethlehem?, written by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Peter Malone, tells the age-old story of Jesus' birth, but with a twist. The story is told from many different perspectives. Each page, or double-paged spread, introduces a new character, each with a new voice.

The book begins with Mary saying, "I am Mary. Tight as a drum. Round as the lady moon calling out to me. We're so far from home, and my baby will be born tonight."

The book ends with Baby Jesus speaking, "I am the light of light. The baby who will cradle the world. In your heart, hold me. I will never leave you."

The author gives the point-of-view of the shepherds, the wise men, the angels, and even some of the animals.

The illustrations are done in colors reminiscent of a desert setting, mostly in shades of brown, as would be appropriate for a book of this nature. The paintings themselves are very formal, though; they look like someone set up the characters for a ceramic or wax Nativity set and then painted them.

What I Like: I like the different points of view given for the story - for Mary, the inn keeper, the shepherd, and even the animals.

What I Dislike: None of the story is told from Joseph's point of view. I thought that was a bit strange, as he is certainly a central figure in the story.

Even though I like the different points of view, written this way it makes the book sound more like a play than a story. That will make it more difficult for children to relate to. On the plus side, though, perhaps kids could actually use the format to create their own play.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: Grades 1-3.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic and beautifully illustrated, December 29, 2005

By 

S. Frink (Kalamazoo, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Many Miles To Bethlehem? (Hardcover)

My husband and I picked out this version of the Christmas story because we loved the poetic language and the pictures (which seemed true to the actual look and feel of the people and times, as opposed to other anglicized versions). Our son is only a year and half, so I wasn't sure he'd be interested in it this year, but he loves it! I don't know if it's the pictures or the rhythmic words, but it's become required reading every night before bed.