The Friendly Beasts, by Rebecca St. James
Reviewed by: Jklyn
Genre: Children’s, Christmas
Publisher: ZonderKids
Publication Date: 2012
This story is about Jesus birth. In the story the animals do different things to honor the birth. For instance, the dove cooed him to sleep. The cow gave him his manger for a bed.
All the animals know that he is a special child. Jesus was just born and laid in a manger filled with hay. Mary was carried to the stable by a donkey, and after Jesus’ birth, they have all the animals doing different things to help take care of Jesus.
I liked that the story tells younger kids about Jesus. I also liked how the book shows how all the animals cared about Jesus. It also shows children that God wants us to be caring to one another. Having a cd with the story sung and read by the author was a plus that I’m sure all the readers and parents of the readers will love too. I think Anna Vojtech did a great job with the artwork, because kids around 2-7 like to pay more attention to the artwork. It was colorful and expressive and that is why I like how the artwork tells the story to.
I think this book is one that my little nephews and nieces would love to read or have the book read to them. I would recommend this book to kids 2-8.
Rated G: Nothing in it offensive to younger children or any age.
Review copy provided by the publisher. Thank you
Jklyn is a young teen who lives with her mom and dad in Indiana. She is the youngest of seven siblings, which includes 4 older sisters and 2 older brothers. Jklyn loves all her homeschool subjects, but especially spelling, writing, reading, science, and music. She loves attending church, reading, writing, singing, acting, and spending time with her friends. However, Jklyn’s favorite thing above all is spending time and playing with her favorite family member, her pet, Lady, a Beagle/Basset Hound mix dog.
When she grows up, Jklyn dreams of being an actress, fashion designer, veterinarian, and a professional book reviewer. Her favorite day of the week is Monday, when she attends Homeschool Choir at her church, helps watch the toddlers and babies for moms who help the Choir Teacher, and gets to do P.E. with all her friends. Jklyn’s excitement over reading a new book is sure to pour out in her reviews.
