Only a Star - Hardcover

Facklam lends her considerable scientific expertise to this quiet tale about the first Christmas and the reverberating power of nature. On the night Jesus was born, there were no such things as Christmas ornaments and tinsel, only the light of a star. But one little star had a big impact: in Carpenter's (Masai and I) shadowy paintings readers can see radiant starlight transform dew drops, bird eggs, hay and even insects into glistening trimmings fit for the newborn King. An illustrated endnote provides facts about the creatures mentioned in the story. Science, nature and religion fit together nicely here, forming the framework for a respectful and deftly delivered story. Ages 4-6.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5^-8. A child wants to know if there were any decorations that first Christmas Day. Her father tells her, "There was only a star." But that star glistened on dew drops and turned them into diamonds and spidery threads that became ribbons of silk. There is no story as such, only the description of the elements of nature, and the many animals, that are transformed into natural wonders in the glow of the Christmas star. Carpenter's paintings, which fill the page, have some beautiful images, but the pictures are occasionally too dark, even for night scenes. All of the creatures mentioned in the verse are introduced more thoroughly in brief paragraphs at the book's conclusion. For larger holiday collections. Ilene Cooper