The Christmas Baby - Christmas Picture Books

The Christmas Baby
by Marion Dane Bauer
(Scholastic, Inc., 2009)

The Christmas Baby is an unusual version of the biblical Christmas story in that the telling ends with both the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the birth of a human baby. What starts out as the retelling of the Nativity ends as the family of the new human baby looks on in joy. And the new baby (not Jesus) watches his mobile of angels dance and spin. This story shares how the joy of the new birth is retold and enjoyed by all.

One phrase that impressed me was when the author talked about Baby Jesus smiling "God's own smile." The other baby gets the same phrase "God's own smile."

I love imagining God's own smile. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? God smiling upon us as He gives us the best and most perfect gift - His Son.

Fun Activity:

Make your own angel (or other Christmas shape - tree, star, gift, heart, candy cane, gingerbread boy) mobile.

Draw, color, cut out, and add glitter glue accents to your choice of mobile shapes.

Tie different lengths of gold thread or yarn to the shapes.

Make the mobile from bent wire hangers or branches that are tied together.

Hang the mobile from a hook as you tie on the characters to make sure they hang at different lengths and balance each other.

Of course, this activity should be enjoyed by all family members, young and old.

Hang the mobile where a gentle breeze will make it move, like near a heater vent. Remember the Baby as you watch the sparkling mobile flutter.