Christmas Is Here: The Story
The children’s Christmas picture book Christmas Is Here uses appealing double-page mixed-media artwork by Lauren Castillo and the words of the King James version of the Bible to tell two stories: the story of a modern family’s visit to a live Nativity scene and the Bible story of the Nativity. While the story begins and ends with scenes of the family enjoying a visit to a live Nativity scene, in between, the location shifts to Bethlehem and the story of the angels appearing before the shepherds and the shepherds following the star to the baby Jesus in the manger.Christmas Is Here begins with three wordless double-page illustrations showing a family with two young children, a baby and a little boy, leaving their row house on a snowy evening and walking to a nearby churchyard to visit a live Nativity scene. The first double-page spread shows the family as they begin their walk through the falling snow, passing a neighbor decorating a tree and a sign on a tree trunk that proclaims, “Live Nativity Tonight!” Their puppy pulls at the bright red leash the boy is holding, urging him forward.
In the second spread, the family arrives at the Nativity scene, as other families are approaching. A sign welcomes them with the words “Come celebrate Jesus’ birth!”
The next spread beautifully illustrates the little boy’s sense of wonder as he sees the baby Jesus. It is a close-up of the little boy’s face peering over the edge of the manger to look at the baby Jesus.
The next nine spreads take us to Bethlehem and the Bible story that begins, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night.” What makes this Christmas picture book so effective in relating the modern live Nativity scene to the story of the birth of Jesus that it represents is the way in which Lauren Castillo uses her artwork and the words of the Bible to transition from the modern live Nativity scene to the first Nativity and back to the modern live Nativity scene.
The last few pages of Christmas Is Here continue the Bible story that started on the first page of Bethlehem illustrations but show the modern Nativity scene reenactment, a nice way of helping young children understand what a live Nativity scene symbolizes. The book ends with the words "and on earth peace, good will toward men" and a double-page spread showing families and carolers surrounding the live Nativity scene.
Christmas Is Here: Lauren Castillo, Illustrator
Artist Lauren Castillo used ink, watercolor and acetone transfer to create the double-page spreads for Christmas Is Here. Other children’s books Lauren Castillo has illustrated include Alfie Runs Away by Kenneth M. Cadow, That’s Papa’s Way by Kate Banks, Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern. Melvin and the Boy, the first children’s book both written and illustrated by Castillo, will be published by Henry Holt in spring 2011. For more about the illustrator, see Lauren Castillo’s WebsiteChristmas Is Here: My Recommendation
Christmas Is Here is a children’s Christmas book that I not only recommend for ages 4-8, but I also recommend it for all ages, from 3-year old to adults, before a family visit to a live Nativity scene. Sharing Christmas Is Here with your kids will help them to better understand the relationship between the live Nativity scene and the first Nativity. After children have visited a live Nativity scene, they can enjoy visiting it again and again though this book. For more excellent Christmas books, see my summaries of the Best Christmas Books for Kids About Jesus' Birth. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Children, 2010. ISBN: 9781442408227)