I really love Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story by Terry M. Wildman! Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story is a very interesting retelling of the Christmas Story from the Native American perspective. I loved how Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story stayed true to the Bible and, in my opinion, to Native American culture as well. I think Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story would be perfect for a Religious Education setting. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinion are completely my own

I would not call myself a Christian, although I do believe in Christ, I do however call myself a Metis because I have Cree Ancestors. This book was confusing and just not it.

I believe it would just confuse kids instead of bringing them Closer to Jesus. The names are hard to remember and it just feels wrong.

This book is a First Nations retelling of the Christmas story. I really enjoyed reading this story from a slightly different perspective. This book is gorgeously illustrated and written in a way that is relevant to First Nations people. Definitely recommend this book, especially for kids who have heard the Christmas story before and would enjoy hearing it from another perspective.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Perfect for celebration at Christmas. This story is a retelling of the birth of Jesus in an adaptation from the First Nations Version of the Gospel of Luke. The illustrations are created by Native artists Hananah and Holly Buchanan and they are so breathtaking. They flow with the story. We follow Bitter Tears who is about to have her child. Her and He Gives Sons are traveling and there is nowhere for them to stay. They find shelter in a cave and soon Bitter Tears' son is born.
Your family will love this version of the story of the Birth Of Jesus. I was so impressed with the love and care put into the writing of the story. It is the perfect addition to your family's Christmas reads. We love it and your family will too.

When I am preaching from the New Testament, I often consult the First Nation Version to see how they framed the text. It is always helpful to look at familiar stories through new lenses. The First Nations Version “recounts the Creator’s Story—the Christian Scriptures—following the tradition of Native storytellers’ oral cultures.” For that reason it is wonderful to read aloud.

This book is Luke 2 adapted from the First Nations Version in picture book format. With older kids, this would be a great way to talk about the story in a fresh way. Why is Herod “Chief Looks Brave” and what does it mean to you that the spirit messenger says that Bitter Tears (Mary) should name her son “Creator Sets Free?” With younger kids this is simply another way to tell our sacred story.

I live in the South, and I have seen and read many depictions of the nativity story as an Appalachian story. I’ve seen it depicted in other countries with a variety of skin tones. But I hadn’t seen one with an indigenous perspective and I think this is a beautiful and important addition to our Christmas collection. It is wonderful to see people finding themselves in sacred stories.

This unique picture book retells the biblical story of the Nativity through the lens of indigenous culture. The story itself is faithful to the original, but the author's cultural background informs how he tells the story, especially as he introduces God and people with indigenous-style names that represent their identities. He also describes different concepts in paraphrased, literal terms. This approach encourages people to consider the deeper meaning of the Nativity story.

The illustrations depict the biblical characters and the angels as indigenous people in cultural clothes. I liked the illustrations, and I thought they were unique and interesting, but I have mixed feelings about this approach to telling a Bible story. Although I understand how this can be meaningful to Native American readers, I believe that the Bible should be able to stand on its own, without someone needing to see their cultural identity in it for it to speak to them.

Although I would never question the good intentions of everyone involved with this project, I think that reimagining the Nativity story to a different cultural context undermines the historical roots of the narrative, which involves real people and places. Of course, the natural counterargument to this is that Western Christians have depicted Jesus and other Bible characters as white, but I see that as a problem and a failing to avoid, rather than an invitation for people from other cultural backgrounds to remake Jesus in their own image. Even though many people will enjoy this book and reflect more deeply on the Nativity story because of it, I am uncomfortable with the way that it treats Jesus's birth like a legend that can be culturally reimagined in any way, rather than a historical event in a specific place, time, and culture.

I love "The First Nations Version" of the New Testament. Reading it challenged me to look at passages with which I'm overly-familiar with new eyes. So, I was really expecting to fall in love with this version of the Christmas story. But I didn't, and I'm still trying to figure out why. Partly I think it relates to decisions about which parts of the Biblical story to include. Since I'm not a First Nations person, perhaps there is a cultural style in the storytelling that is unfamiliar to me. I felt like the text jumps a bit, putting together Matthew and Luke's accounts without any transition for readers who don't understand where these passages come from. The ending page as well felt tacked on, without context. In spite of this, I do think this is a good and important book, just one that may take some adult explanations for young readers, I would love to know how First Nation kids respond to the book.
Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.

A fresh new brand of retelling Christmas story for kids. I really hope many kids will read this book and understand Christmas more and more. The love of God incarnate in human flesh.