Cute illustrations that kids are sure to love. Simple wording for kids to understand but strong truths for parents or reading adults to appreciate. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, even if others don’t appreciate the “gifts and talents” you offer. Despite our fears holding us back, God often gives second chances. Creative idea on Mary and Joseph’s escape. An enjoyable holiday read for young children but can be appreciated by all ages. I received a complimentary copy from the author and NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

The Singing Shepherd is a sweet children's book about a young shepherd called Jareb, who bursts into songs when he is afraid but unfortunately has quite the out-of-tune singing. Jareb is invited by an angel to meet the baby Jesus but Jareb is afraid. However, there is a life-changing experience and Jareb has a new reason to sing.

The Singing Shepherd is a sweet book with a sweet story and lovely illustrations. This would be a wonderful book to read with young children. The only thing I was thinking about is that this adds to the story of Jesus and how Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt. That might leave an impression to young children about how the events went without it actually being straight from the Bible. Otherwise, this is a great book.

I received a complimentary eARC of The Singing Shepherd by Angela Hunt through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Singing Shepherd is the story of Jareb, a young shepherd with a terrible singing voice who sets off to visit the baby Jesus when the angels appear to tell him Jareb and his siblings the good news. Jareb meets all the usual "We Three Kings" characters along the way and then saves little Jesus and his parents by distracting some Roman guards with his terrible singing.

It's a cute story that puts a fun twist on a classic Bible story that will definitely infuse a little new interest into Sunday school lessons and Christian household bedtimes. With that said, the story meandered a bit, and when it started to get a little off track my three-year-old wandered off to let me finish the read-through by myself. I'm not sure if that means I wasn't reading it enthusiastically enough or it this is better suited to slightly older kids.

With the acknowledgement that I read an advanced reading copy and the pixelation on some pages tells me I didn't receive a high-resolution file (understandable), I found some blocks of text were too small and not well placed over the illustrations in terms of contrast, and I struggled to read them.

As for the illustrations, while they are cute and colourful and overall very fun to look at, I found the "rosy cheeks" on all of the characters (humans and animals alike) a little distracting. They extend up into the lower eyelids and look more like sickly undereye bags than healthy rosy cheeks. As a fellow illustrator, I really hate to be critical of what I know is a whole book's worth of finished illustrations in a particular style, but in this context I'm reviewing as an average reader, and that is the impression given.

All in all a cute Sunday school or bedtime story that hasn't been told before.

The Singing Shepherd is a cute and unique story set after Jesus' Birth. It tells the story of a Shepherd Boy who sings off key and who deals with fear. The book gives kids and adults alike the message that God our worship no matter how it sounds and that God can use us in spite of our fear. This book would be a nice addition to read as a Family Devotional or in a classroom setting. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on GoodReads.)

A delightful story ideal for the young reader to find under the Christmas tree or read throughout the Christmas season. The lesson the little singing shepherd learns is an important one. The illustrations, especially of the little lambs, are adorable. Do not miss this perfect Christmas gift for that someone special on your list. Any child would love it!
I received a copy from Net Galley. The opinions are my own.

Fantastic story which teaches younger children about the birth of baby Jesus, and also encourages them to be brave when they are scared about something.
I feel that children would relate to this book, as well as enjoying the colourful pictures too.

This would be a great gift for the young child on your Christmas list. The illustrations have been updated since the original publication. It's cute and bright, and I would think a child would be delighted to hold and read it. And there is a good message in the story as well.

Angela Hunt does a wonderful job of telling a story about a possible shepherd’s reactions to the birth of our Savior. The illustrations are inviting, the story line moves along at a great pace for a children’s story, and it is just an overall cute story.

The illustrations are cute and beautiful.
It can be a good Christmas gift. To be honest, I won't purchase it myself, because the Bible stories have been adapted so many times.