Over in a Stable was a delightful counting book that tells the story of the birth of Jesus. This is a Christian Picture Book sharing the nativity with a twist. Each page shows someone/something from the beloved story, but not the ones you would think of. This story is for children so it sues things such as one drum played by the drummer boy, 2 arms to hold the baby, 3 camels etc. At the end there is a spread with all the the characters and animals shown. The cadence of the rhyming story made it easy to read aloud. We really enjoyed this story and even the little one tried to count with us. This is a beautifully illustrated book that I plan on buying for my Sunday School class and family Christmas library.

This is a nicely done Christmas book done in the same tune of Over in the meadow. The illustrations are really cute and support the text.

A beautiful re-telling of the true meaning of Christmas. Filled with vibrant & cheerful illustrations this is the perfect addition to your Christmas reading list or to add to a gift for the holiday season,

I received an electronic ARC from Zonderkidz Books through Netgalley.
Charming story of the nativity. Is it a retelling of the Bible story? No, but it is a terrific take on "Over in the Meadow" that young readers will enjoy. The vividly colored illustrations bring the characters to life. This also serves as a counting book from 1 to 10 so readers can count the characters on each page.
Families will enjoy reading this book together during holiday season. Older readers can read it to themselves and all levels of readers can practice their counting.

4.5 Stars

"Over in a stable, though the hour was growing late,
grazed one mother sheep and her fleecy lambs eight.
“Give,” said the mother.
“We give,” said the eight.
And they gave their hay to make a bed to rest a King so great."

This is the first book by award winning author Suzanne Nelson that I have read, but I loved the way this story was shared, from the little drummer boy to the sheep, to the birth of the newborn babe in the manger. The rhythm of the story of would make a lovely read-aloud story during the Christmas holiday season, while the colourful and brilliant illustrations seem to glow from the lights shining from above in the heavens, and around the newborn babe.


Pub Date: 06 Oct 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Zonderkidz-Books / Zonderkidz

This is a simple re-telling of the story of Jesus' birth and the illustrations are beautifully done. They capture the readers' eye and draw them in.

This is a great nativity story for kids. The art is amazing and the story is well done and sweet. My son loved reading through this and wanted to read it again as soon as we finished it.

5 Stars!

A great and creative way to share the story of Christmas with children of all ages! Families will enjoy learning the story together as the celebrate the hope found in the birth of Christ.

I am not familiar with Over in the Meadow, but the easy cadence quickly develops bringing a fun rhythm for younger children. The illustrations are gorgeous, vibrantly colored, and the animals/children are shown worshiping the baby Jesus. The counting aspect allows for pause and discussion on each page. A great early Christmas gift - definitely something to be read during Advent. .

Thank you NetGalley and Zonder Kids for a copy of "Over In A Stable" in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is set for October 6, - perfect for the holiday season.

This book is richly and colourfully illustrated. The pages have lifelike pictures to capture the imagination of children. While recommended for the age group of 4 to 8, I think older children, parents and grandparents will also enjoy it.

The book is a wonderful read-aloud that will be an annual favourite the family will look forward to reading together.

The rhythm of the book follows the much loved "Over In The Meadow" rhyme that children are familiar with. The story also is a fun way to teach children to count from 1 to 10.

The title of the book didn't really attract me to the fact that it sounds like and is a imitation of the well-known verse “Over in the Meadow". As such the book follows the same rhyming scheme as the original while at the same time retelling the Nativity to new readers.

The writing is definitely very simple and easy to follow so children would find this a simple story to read. Unfortunately since it was trying to mimic the original the replacement verses didn't really sound logical such as a donkey with five colts or a sheep with eight lambs. This is kind of disappointing since I felt these verses could have been replaced to better narrate the story.

At the same time the story isn't biblically factual either due to the first creature stirring outside the barn was the little drummer boy. Meanwhile other elements given in the text just suggest elements that have been made popular due to continuing traditions such as Mary wearing powder blue or the suggested three wise men.

The redeeming grace for the book, though, is the illustrations. They are bright, colorful and detailed while making this a charming book of inclusion.

All in all it was decent but for a Christian family or anyone who likes the actual details then it should probably be a quick read before moving onto the next Nativity story.

**Please note I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

Wonderful! Over in the Meadow is an excellent wonder-filled folk song and the author has done an excellent job adapting it to the birth of Jesus. Great illustrations kept my girls riveted while I sang and they echoed the story. Highly recommended!

This book is Christmas perfection! The illustrations are so beautiful, adding to the unique way the nativity story is told. I love that people, angels and animals are all shown worshiping the baby Jesus. I also appreciate the counting element added it in. I can't wait to add this to the list of books I'll be reading my children all throughout advent.

5/5 stars

This board book with it's stunning illustrations is written by award-winning author Suzanne Nelson. It is a perfect read-aloud to share with your children regarding the Christmas nativity.

"Over in a stable, though the hour was growing late,
grazed one mother sheep and her fleecy lambs eight.
"Give," said the mother.
"We give," said the eight.
And they gave their hay to make a bed to rest a King so great."

This rhyming counting book features the cadence of the classic poem "Over in the Meadow." It highlights gorgeous imagery: the humble stable where the baby is born, the diverse people and animals that come to honour him, and heavenly angels who hover over the scene to pay homage to this providential birth. It is a glorious celebration of the miracle that took place that night in little town of Bethlehem.

The book features numbers 1-10 for those learning their numbers for the first time or those reviewing them if need be. The cover shines with glitter accents making it a perfect Christmas gift. I highly recommend "Over in a Stable." It is a beautiful addition to your Christmas collection.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

3.5 Stars.
This is an absolutely gorgeously illustrated book but unfortunately the flow of the words rhyming together and how the numbers followed in the the verse didn't really gel for me. This book is a Christmas nativity story about baby Jesus but is also a counting book from numbers 1 to 10. I found the way the rhyming verse that was written through the story may confuse children with their counting too.

I couldn't give the book a 4 star review due to the above but loved looking at the illustrations.

It does appear as if versions of "Over in the Meadow" are all the rage right now. But I loved "Over in the Stable" with its setting of the nativity. The illustrations are gorgeous. The diversity represented is admirable and what I look for in a picture book!

Truly, it's a counting Christmas tale that will appeal to many!

The book Over in a Stable by Suzanne Nelson is a beautifully told story about the birth of Jesus. I love how the story is told using a number/counting theme. This will be a fun way to tell a story and teach kids how to count.
The illustrations are stunning and I love how kids can count all images in the last two pages. It's a story that can be told all year round not just during Christmas time. Excellent kids book.

The illustrations in Over in a Stable are beautiful. This will be a wonderful addition to any Christmas collection. Thank you to Zondervan and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Over in a stable is a great retelling of jesus' birth. There werentwo things that stood out greatly sood out for me. First, the story is told in a way thats not too holiday season-ish. It can be read year round. Second, I love that it also has a numerical pattern to help teach kids to count. It is very well written and has great illustrations as well.

A beautifully illustrated wonderful rendition of the Christmas story filled with love. A perfect book to add to the nightly December reads to children.