I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Night of his birth is a beautifully illustrated picture book telling the story of the birth of Jesus. It's a nice addition for a parochial school library.

I am not sure if my favorite part about The Night of His Birth is that it tells the birth of Jesus from the viewpoint of his mother or if it is the beautiful illustrations by Lisa Aisato.

I love this book and will be purchasing a hardback copy for myself and my church.

5 stars!

I was given the opportunity to read The Night of His Birth, by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A story of the first Christmas night unfolds, from Mary's point of view, as she holds her baby boy, Jesus, and ponders all that He will become...

The paintings are unbelievably good! I'm inspired just looking at the majestic, almost magical, landscapes.

This is not the easiest read (for young readers), as there are some bigger words they could stumble over, but it's wonderful to be read aloud with the family.

JUST BEAUTIFUL.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

This gorgeous book from Katherine Paterson is sure to become an instant holiday classic for children. The illustrations are phenomenal and it is such a beautiful telling of the Christmas story. I cannot wait to share this special book with my children.

Thank you #netgalley for a copy of this book to review. I enjoy reading accounts of Christmas and this book was a sweet addition to the stories I own. I can't wait to get a copy for this Christmas to share this with my kids. The illustrations were beautiful.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I love reading Nativity stories and this one is unique because it is told from the perspective of Mary. This book had beautiful illustrations and expressive lyrical text. I think that anyone can add this to their Christmas book collection.

I'm most familiar with Katherine Paterson because of her book Bridge to Terabithia, which was one of my favorites as a kid. I had no idea that she wrote picture books as well!

This is the story of Jesus' birth told from the point of view of Mary, which is a unique perspective I have not come across in children's literature. Paterson imagines the conflicting thoughts that could have been in her head as this story unfolded. It also touches on the doubt that I have always believed others in Mary's life would have initially had as well. But it does so in a gentle way that is not going to cause children to doubt Mary's story.

It is the ultimate love letter from Mary to her precious son. And the words are illustrated with magical, beautiful pictures that echo the enchantment. They are absolutely stunning. I think this is one of my new favorite Christmas picture books.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for fulfilling my review request. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Katherine Paterson's storytelling is always captivating, and this beautiful picture book is no exception. While the title might seem to suggest that this is about the events of that first night of Jesus's life, it's really his mother Mary's musings on the Annunciation, her family's response to her pregnancy, Joseph's acceptance, and her own reception of the the Gift that was Jesus.

The illustrations match the mood of the text well and are mostly quite beautiful. I found some of the depictions of people disturbing-- the shepherds have absurdly crooked noses and Mary's parents look wooden and knobby. But most of the pages beg to be lingered over, the colors and shadows drawing the eye inward.

I would use this book as part of a children's sermon or as a tool for visual contemplative prayer. It's a book that invites intergenerational wondering.
#NetGalley, #TheNightofHisBirth

From the first sentences describing the shepherds longing to touch the baby with their chapped and grimy hands, Paterson does a remarkable job of bringing us into Mary's thoughts and experiences as she becomes a first time mother. Paired with Lisa Aisato's vivid illustrations, this Christmas book is one to share with generations of readers.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. Here is my honest review.

This book is lovely. The illustrations are amazing. I love the colors and the movement and the warmth. Raw emotion captured in some of them is unreal.
I also appreciate the unique take on telling the story of Jesus' birth. Told from Mary's perspective, her surprise at being chosen, her wonder at the miracle of birth, her delight in a newborn is captured in poetry.

A beautiful version of the nativity story with raw, poignant, exuberant illustrations. The author acknowledges the hardships Mary faces, yet keeps things simple enough for kids to understand.

This Nativity picture book tells the story of Jesus' birth from Mary's perspective. It is fictional, in that we do not know what Mary was thinking, but it remains true to scripture. This is not for young children, but older ones (i.e. 10 and up). One of the reasons I say that is the illustrations. They are beautifully done, but often a bit strange, which fits this beautiful story, but I don't think young children will understand that. It is also not a sanitized story and talks about Mary's pregnancy and how her parents and others would feel about that. There are some beautiful moments in this story that will take your breath away, (especially mothers) when Mary talks about being one with her child. Overall, this is a beautiful story and would be a great edition to a church library or a family library with some guidance.

I loved the illustrations in this book and have purchased it for my church library. However, I really think adults will enjoy this more than children.

I liked this book, but personally was not wowed. It was a good book, but to me too sad. I would recommend for older children, not small ones.

What a beautiful. lyrical book. The illustrations by Lisa Aisato are wonderful. The text by long-time author, Katherine Paterson, is so deep and rich. This book will be marketed toward children but it is parents who will find Mary's narrative so moving. Though this is indeed the story of the Nativity, it's told in a more indirect way. Mary tells this as the story of her son's birth, noting "God is the host of this celebration at which I am also a guest." It wraps her faith and devotion into this love story about her newborn.

Adults so often miss some really great books because they are marketed as "children's books." Too often we forget there are universal truths in children's books, that can also be appreciated by adults.

I received an electronic ARC from Flyaway Books through NetGalley.
The story of Christ's birth told through Mary's eyes. Paterson takes readers from the angel visit through the morning after the birth. She fleshes out the human side of Mary as we see possible reactions from her parents. The text flows smoothly and rings with the joy surrounding this event.
The illustrations are lovely and draw the reader in. Details such as the crown reflected in Mary's eye on some pages allude to the life to come.
This will definitely be a book I purchase for myself and others.

I can't say that I liked this book. I love the illustrations, they are so inviting and warm! They're the reason I wanted to read it. To me, the story is not for children. I really didn't like some of the wording, such as "God summoned me, as though to play a divine joke on a prideful world." I found it inappropriate and a little disrespectful.

The Night of His Birth
by Katherine Paterson

Flyaway Books

Children’s Fiction , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 17 Sep 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Night if His Birth through Flyaway Books and Netgalley:

This children’s book tells the story of Jesus birth in this beautifully written and illustrated book, I would definitely recommend this one to the children in your life.

Mary has just given birth to Jesus and she cannot contain her joy. While Joseph is sleeping she examines Jesus, his eyes, his tiny fingers, his hands, marveling in the fact that she gave birth to a son that was not her own, but was God’s gift to mankind, God’s own child.

The poetic text by Newberry award winning author Katherine Patterson and stunning illustrations done by Lisa Aisato shows us the intimacy of that long ago night when the mother of Jesus was the first to welcome him into a world he would change forever.

I give The Night of His Birth five out of five Stars!

Happy Reading!

This is a beautiful children's Christmas book, telling the story of the birth of Christ from the point of view of Mary. While a simple story, familiar to many who know the Christmas story, this one is accompanied by beautiful illustrations, and a point of view that is unwaveringly that of a proud mother.

From my perspective, there's nothing deeply unique about the text. It's well written, but it doesn't necessarily tell something new. The illustrations that accompany it, however, make the book well worth buying and reading. The style is gorgeous, the family feels solidly Middle Eastern, and they combine beautifully with the text, creating something that is really enjoyable.

I'll be recommending this both for our children's collection and in general to other children's/school collections.

I loved The Night of His Birth by Katherine Paterson! The theme of the book was a fresh look at Jesus' birth through the eyes of His mother. It touches on simple events that usually go unnoticed. The illustrations are beautiful! I highly recommend this book for kids and adults!