All for the Newborn Baby

This book is sweet and gorgeous. My daughter and I both love the art work. While the text is charming, it is rather simple and doesn't really say much about the story of Christ's birth. However, the story of Jesus' birth intertwined with the harmony of nature is a unique and lovely supplement to other Christmas stories.

The text of this book by Phyllis Root draws on Christmas tradions from all over the world. Animals of all sorts rejoice in the birth of the child: this idea that all nature celebrates a great event or mourns a great loss is an ancient convention in Western literature. Root's simple, beautiful language takes no back seat to anything, including the art, exquisite though the illustrations certainly are. Nicola Bayley has drawn on art in medieval manuscripts for the design of the book, using complicated borders around the pages and jewel-toned miniatures set in a filigree surround. It shouldn't be considered only a Christmas book or a religious text, for its theme of joy in beginnings and the hope inherent in the birth of a baby is universal. It would be an lovely gift for adults as well as children, particularly for new mothers, at any time of year.

This is an absolutely stunning children's book, and I say that with an awful lot of beautiful books in our family library. The "story"/song that accompanies the illustrations takes a quick backseat to the visual feast but is fine and true to its religious origins. I haven't yet tested this out on my 6 year old (Christmas being a bit away), but my take on this book is that because of the lack of ACTION! he won't appreciate it unless we block out a lot of the bustle of the day and get into a cozy space that allows for more concentration than the usual pace of our evenings. However, I think it's good to have a book so lovely that it compels you to try to create that space with your child, at least during one season every year.