Mary Engelbreit presents A Night of Great Joy, a delightful picture
book that celebrates the joyful season of Christmas. This book tells the
story of the nativity through the performance of a children’s Christmas
pageant. With adorable illustrations and simple storytelling,
Engelbreit paints a wonderful picture of the night that Jesus was born.
A Night of Great Joy recalls that fateful night with wonder and awe.
From the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem to the gathering of
many before the baby Jesus, this holiday treasure leads children through
the tale of the birth of Jesus, guiding them with the star of Bethlehem.
"A Night of Great Joy"
Mary Engelbreit
Over the years I have enjoyed the whimsical charm of Mary Engelbriet's artwork. So when I saw this book available for review I was very excited to place a copy on reserve for my own collection.
Upon the arrival of this book my daughter was thrilled. The cover is colorful and even shimmers with a touch of glitter. "A Night of Great Joy" is a hard cover book, complete with a dust jacket. Each page is filled with beautiful illustrations that will instantly draw your little one into the story.
The idea of retelling the story of the birth of Jesus through a children's Christmas pageant is very cute. Some of the characters are even dressed in costumes to represent the different animals in the stable. Through the illustrations we see the mistakes and pleasures of the little children as they perform their Christmas pageant.
Overall it is a charming book. But not one that I would wholeheartedly recommend. My concern centers around the fact that in the pageant, the baby Jesus was depicted as a "Raggedy Andy" doll. It felt irreverent to me.
*I received a complimentary copy of "A Night of Great Joy" from Book Look Blogger in exchange for my honest review*
