The character expressions made the illustrations feel a little disjointed from the story. The writing felt like it had a decent flow.

Angela Hunt is known for her beautifully crafted stories with surprising twists. Her newest children’s book is an endearing tale about a shepherd boy named, Jareb. Jareb is afraid of everything. His way of compensating is to sing songs—loudly and offkey.

Jareb and his older brothers tend sheep on the hills of Bethlehem. One night an angel appears and heralds the birth of the Savior. What happens next is an interesting journey young Jareb embarks. Watch for those surprising twists!

I love the theme of God using our weaknesses and poor choices for His purpose. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and full of discussion prompts for the adult reader to encourage the little one to interact.

I highly recommend The Singing Shepherd for your child, grandchild, or a special little person in your life. A great new tradition for families to include in their holiday celebrations.

The publisher provided a free copy for an honest review.
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Jareb, a fearful shepherd boy, becomes a brave hero in this delightful rendition of the first Christmas. Even Jareb’s off-key singing turns out to be a blessing!

The Singing Shepherd is a delightful Christmas story. The tale is enjoyable and the illustrations only add to the fun. Angela Hunt’s strong Biblical knowledge shines through in details such as pictures of Joseph and Mary – Joseph is much older than Mary, and in the Biblical facts of the story. What did I love most about The Singing Shepherd? I am a worship leader. When people tell me that they can’t sing, I tell them “All God’s People Got a Place in the Choir,” – song. Angela’s book carries the message of that song. You need to read this book to your children!

What a cute little children's book just in time for Christmas! Jareb is a shepherd who likes to sing. Though the sheep like his voice, no one else does. When the angels come to him and his brothers announcing Christ's birth, he's too afraid to go see the Savior. When he finally gathers the courage, he finds the child's parents fleeing to Egypt. I enjoyed how the author used this singing, frightened shepherd to teach a unique perspective of the Christmas story to children. So cute!

Cute illustrations that kids are sure to love. Simple wording for kids to understand but strong truths for parents or reading adults to appreciate. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, even if others don’t appreciate the “gifts and talents” you offer. Despite our fears holding us back, God often gives second chances. Creative idea on Mary and Joseph’s escape. An enjoyable holiday read for young children but can be appreciated by all ages. I received a complimentary copy from the author and NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

The Singing Shepherd is a sweet children's book about a young shepherd called Jareb, who bursts into songs when he is afraid but unfortunately has quite the out-of-tune singing. Jareb is invited by an angel to meet the baby Jesus but Jareb is afraid. However, there is a life-changing experience and Jareb has a new reason to sing.

The Singing Shepherd is a sweet book with a sweet story and lovely illustrations. This would be a wonderful book to read with young children. The only thing I was thinking about is that this adds to the story of Jesus and how Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt. That might leave an impression to young children about how the events went without it actually being straight from the Bible. Otherwise, this is a great book.

I received a complimentary eARC of The Singing Shepherd by Angela Hunt through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Singing Shepherd is the story of Jareb, a young shepherd with a terrible singing voice who sets off to visit the baby Jesus when the angels appear to tell him Jareb and his siblings the good news. Jareb meets all the usual "We Three Kings" characters along the way and then saves little Jesus and his parents by distracting some Roman guards with his terrible singing.

It's a cute story that puts a fun twist on a classic Bible story that will definitely infuse a little new interest into Sunday school lessons and Christian household bedtimes. With that said, the story meandered a bit, and when it started to get a little off track my three-year-old wandered off to let me finish the read-through by myself. I'm not sure if that means I wasn't reading it enthusiastically enough or it this is better suited to slightly older kids.

With the acknowledgement that I read an advanced reading copy and the pixelation on some pages tells me I didn't receive a high-resolution file (understandable), I found some blocks of text were too small and not well placed over the illustrations in terms of contrast, and I struggled to read them.

As for the illustrations, while they are cute and colourful and overall very fun to look at, I found the "rosy cheeks" on all of the characters (humans and animals alike) a little distracting. They extend up into the lower eyelids and look more like sickly undereye bags than healthy rosy cheeks. As a fellow illustrator, I really hate to be critical of what I know is a whole book's worth of finished illustrations in a particular style, but in this context I'm reviewing as an average reader, and that is the impression given.

All in all a cute Sunday school or bedtime story that hasn't been told before.

The Singing Shepherd is a cute and unique story set after Jesus' Birth. It tells the story of a Shepherd Boy who sings off key and who deals with fear. The book gives kids and adults alike the message that God our worship no matter how it sounds and that God can use us in spite of our fear. This book would be a nice addition to read as a Family Devotional or in a classroom setting. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book! (This review is also on GoodReads.)

A delightful story ideal for the young reader to find under the Christmas tree or read throughout the Christmas season. The lesson the little singing shepherd learns is an important one. The illustrations, especially of the little lambs, are adorable. Do not miss this perfect Christmas gift for that someone special on your list. Any child would love it!
I received a copy from Net Galley. The opinions are my own.

Fantastic story which teaches younger children about the birth of baby Jesus, and also encourages them to be brave when they are scared about something.
I feel that children would relate to this book, as well as enjoying the colourful pictures too.

This would be a great gift for the young child on your Christmas list. The illustrations have been updated since the original publication. It's cute and bright, and I would think a child would be delighted to hold and read it. And there is a good message in the story as well.

Angela Hunt does a wonderful job of telling a story about a possible shepherd’s reactions to the birth of our Savior. The illustrations are inviting, the story line moves along at a great pace for a children’s story, and it is just an overall cute story.

This little story was so cute and a beautiful way for children to learn about the birth of Jesus. I loved that little Jareb would sing when he was afraid. Singing and music are powerful spiritual weapons against the enemy. This story is full of God's Truth in a way children can understand, and the art was beautifully done.

The illustrations are cute and beautiful.
It can be a good Christmas gift. To be honest, I won't purchase it myself, because the Bible stories have been adapted so many times.