Voices of Christmas

Grimes's stirring verse recounts the Messiah's birth through several first-person perspectives (a shepherd, an innkeeper, Herod). After she is visited by Gabriel, Mary laments, “Now I, alone, remain/ rooted to this dirt floor, dizzy with wonder,/ pinching my wrist,/ waiting to wake/ from this dream.” On the following page, Joseph wonders, “How could I marry a girl/ who is having someone else's baby?” Velasquez offers muted, atmospheric paintings, many seemingly lit by a distant, silvery guiding light. A lyrical, wide-focus meditation on the impact of a singular event. A CD with a reading of the story is included. Ages 9–12. (Oct.)