This is a beautiful book. The story is told in a way that’s easy to comprehend and I loved the blurbs of information on each page. Even as an adult this book taught me about the amazing birth of Jesus and all the details I did not know. I would give this ten stars if I could because the illustrations are stunning!! The way the artist drew animals is exceptional!! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good children's book. It was true to God's word but also gave extra details that you would not think about. Like why they rode donkeys and camels instead of other animals. That was interesting to learn.

A great little story, perfect for young children! I loved the added little facts throughout. 😊

Isabella Ann of The Painted Caravan

thepaintedcaravan.substack.com

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This book includes beautiful color illustrations and an easy to follow text to tell the story of the birth of Jesus. It includes historical and cultural notes to help guide the reader’s understanding. It is a perfect way for families to share the story of Christmas. A bibliography is included.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

History and art come together to celebrate the miracle of the first Christmas. A thoughtful journey that deepens faith by uncovering the beauty of Christ’s birth.

This book is gorgeously illustrated. I enjoyed the insets that were throughout the book that told more about the history and time period. The insets are what set this book apart from other books about the story of Christmas. I recommend this book to be added to a home or church library.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a Christian book about Christmas for ages 4 and up. The illustrations were in a very realistic style and showed historically accurate visuals for the story. The main text recounts the birth of Jesus as described in the Bible, from Mary being visited by an angel until Jesus' family returns from Egypt after Herod's death. There were also boxes with a paragraph or two of historical information that expanded upon the main text, and this would be of more interest to maybe 7 year-olds and up. These boxes provided more information on carpenters, Rome, donkeys, inns, swaddling clothes, shepherds, sheep, angels, mangers, wise men, prophecy about Jesus' birth, myrrh and frankincense, camels, and Egypt. Overall, I think this would be of most interest to kids who have grown up hearing the basic Christmas story but are old enough to like learning more background information. I'd recommend this well-written and illustrated book.

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Engaging illustrations accompany informative text in this unique Christmas book. Author, Andy McGuire, is also the talented artist on this project that combines details of history and archeology alongside the biblical story. Readers will learn things like: Did Mary really ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Did carpenters work with wood or stone? What did the manger Jesus was born in really look like? How old was Jesus when the wisemen brought him gifts? What amazing things did the Egyptians create thousands of years ago that we still use today? There’s much more for readers to discover and discuss.

In addition to the above, McGuire includes a nice collection of animal facts that support his wonderful artwork. It looks like he used colored pencil, chalk or a combination of the two. His pictures are soft, life like, pastoral, detailed. I wanted to reach out and pet them because I could make a connection; amazing facial expressions. There are three pages featuring a camel that are a character study; spectacular.

THE WONDERS OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS will make an excellent gift and addition to family or church libraries. Young children will be captivated by the illustrations while older kids and adults will additionally enjoy learning about and discussing the historical information not usually found in books for this audience. Highly recommended📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks.

What a beautifully illustrated book! Since I work in a public school, I can not use this book for teaching. I did enjoy the story of Jesus. It gives choices to read the "main" story part, or read the "main" part and add in the additional information. The additional information was very informative explaining information that one may not know or understand. All of it was easy to understand.

The Wonders of the First Christmas is a wonderful telling of the birth of Jesus with added historical information. The historical information adds another level of depth to put the story of Jesus' birth into a historical context for readers to understand the story better. The illustrations are beautiful and brings this story to life.

The story of the nativity with interesting historical facts and tidbits woven in. I normally don't love books of this format, but the facts were very interesting and I think really added to this book. The illustrations are lovely and center on different angles of animals that are relevant to the story. It adds a level of interest that I enjoyed.

In the midst of dozens of retelling the story, Andy McGuire tells the story once again with great illustrations and as a bonus, tidbits of historical information to supplement the topics. This book is geared toward younger children and is the perfect gift for families who want to raise their children with the true meaning of Christmas. I would’ve liked to see a little more expansion or detail on the story and more of the historical facts. Still recommend.

A well-illustrated retelling of the story of the first Christmas. The right mixture of text and pictures to appeal to young readers and those who might read it to them.

The Wonders of the First Christmas: Explore the Birth of Jesus through History, Archaeology, and Art
Andy McGurie
Author Andy McGuire offers children a look at the true reason for Christmas. The birth of Christ is told from the beginning when the angel appears to Mary. The story is told in a simple easy to understand manner. On several pages there is a box with more information.
This is a precious story for Christians. (I’ve never been able to understand why unbelievers celebrate Christmas, a celebration of the birth of Christ.) The story moves along at a nice pace from the angel’s visit to Mary to the angel coming to Joseph in a dream. While we see Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem in the illustration, the information box reminds us that nowhere in the scriptures does it say Mary was on a donkey. But that would have been the most likely method of travel. The young couple stayed in a stable because there were no rooms left at the end.
The story continues with the shepherds and the Wisemen. Again, the box reminds us tht scripture says nothing about the Wisemen/Kings riding camels although it would have been an appropriate method of travel. The Illustrations are beautifully done; they are subdued, which is very appropriate for they compliment the story without overpowering in for the focus should be on the text in this tale.
This book can introduce scripture and can be used to assist parents by opening dialogue that will allow parents to openly discuss the story with their children.
Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are expressly my own.

A cute children's picture book about the Christmas story. The book was quite true to the accounts of Christ's birth in the 4 gospels. I really liked how this book was laid out - as a short story for young listeners and then a more detailed paragraph for older ones. I always appreciate a book like this that will appeal to multiple ages. The illustrations were not my personal taste, but okay. I thought the 2 images of baby Jesus were very different from each other which was odd to me. It does say that the angels "sang" when they appeared to the shepherds, which we don't know for certain if they did nor not according to the Bible; of course it is very possible that they did! But I just wanted to give that a mention to those who would want to know that. All in all a cute Christmas story picture book for the season!

The Wonders of the First Christmas
By Andy McGuire

This is a beautiful book. It centers around the biblical telling of the birth of Jesus Christ. But it also includes interpretations of exactly what some of the biblical passages mean, for example that stables were not what we think of as stables today, or that Joseph and Jesus were probably not carpenters as we think of them but more like contractors or stone masons. And all of this is written on a level that children can understand.

There is another facet of this book which is equally compelling – the wonderful illustrations. The visual experience is gorgeous. And adds so much to the storytelling.

I would highly recommend this book to all those with young children or grandchildren to explain the Christmas story. Be sure to sit down and read it with them!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5 🌟
The Wonders of the First Christmas is a visually rich, thoughtfully written stroll through the world of Jesus’ birth. With gentle narration and gorgeous illustrations, it invites readers—young and curious at heart—to not just hear the story but imagine living in it. The added historical tidbits feel like answers to the sharp, curious questions a child might ask. These details slow the pace, but also deepen the experience—offering room for reflection, conversation, and appreciation.

That said, the subtitle overpromises. Despite hints at archaeology and art, those elements barely surface. Readers expecting a layered historical or artistic deep-dive may feel slightly misled. And the ending, while visually serene, feels more like a soft stop than a satisfying close. Still, for what it is—a warm, informative retelling for thoughtful readers—it delivers.

This was a beautifully illustrated, simple but profound children’s book. It told of the birth of Christ in easy to understand concepts that highlighted certain aspects of Christ’s and His early years that were well researched. Such as what a manger was and what made up a stable during the time of Christ.
This would be a wonderful gift for a child at Christmas.
*A compliment copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*

I loved the way this book has a dual appeal. There is a storyline for younger readers and below, a storyline for older readers. As your reader grows, they can start to read one part to themselves as you read the other to them as they get older. The book also gives opportunities for older siblings or cousins to read aloud and show the beautiful pictures to their younglings.

I see this book as a fine investment for families and even schools. It's a wonderful way to teach the story of the Birth of Jesus.

Thank you to the author, Andy McGuire, NetGalley and ZonderKidz for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sweetest book. I absolutely love the illustrations, they are beautiful. And I love the facts on each page and I learned things I previously wasn’t aware of, like the fact animals were kept in the lower level of the home so their heat rose to the humans room above. Altogether it is a beautiful book with a Biblically accurate story of the birth of Jesus with a lot of additional history and anthropology added in. I loved it and will recommend it!