An Angel Came to Nazareth: A Story of the First Christmas

Kneen's (The Lonely Scarecrow ) sumptuous watercolor and gouache paintings, embossed with texture and gold foil accents, convey the awesomeness of Jesus' birth in this novel retelling of the Nativity. An angel asks four beasts of burden to assist four different travelers on the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, noting that only one animal shall carry "the greatest of them all." The donkey, who selects last, transports not king, soldier, or Samaritan, but a poor pregnant woman. The simple yet reverent rhyming text reveals the identity of the donkey's precious passenger. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)