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!

Sweetly illustrated, with text that will grow with your child, this classic story is told in a way that parents and little ones alike will enjoy. A great one to keep in your library.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beautifully done pictures. I loved how the animals looked almost realistic throughout the book. Well told beloved story. Will definitely recommend.

More than just your basic retelling of the Nativity story, this book provides small snippets throughout the book that are educational and explain the story from the timeframe of Jesus. Explanations include the work/trade of a carpenter, the design of a manager, commons type of sheep in Israel, etc. The book also highlights many concepts/ideas that are included in the Nativity story but aren't specifically mentioned in the Bible but could be plausible for this time (Mary riding a donkey, Wise Men riding camels, etc.)

This is a great book for sharing the Nativity/First Christmas story and teaching children more details and the history at the time of of Jesus' birth.

This lovely telling of the Christmas story is aimed at children, probably in the 4-10 year range, but its quiet approach will appeal to all ages. The illustrations have a simple style that matches the bits of historical context that are included to pique a child's interest without overwhelming them. There is a confidence in God as a loving being, yet without religiosity.

Great illustrations. A child friendly version of the Christmas story with interesting historical, scientific, and geographic facts about the Biblical Christmas story. More suited for older children. Thanks to NetGalley and Zonderkidz for the early digital copy.

Cute illustrations and a sweet, basic retelling of the Christmas story. There were also some interesting facts and background information scattered throughout the pages.

The Wonders of the First Christmas by Andy McGuire is a children’s book coming out in October this year. I was struck by the historical accuracy and the definitions of customs of the times. Between the explanation of Roman rulers and gifts from the wise men and even how much a camel can drink, I found this book quite refreshing and interesting, as I’m sure so many children will as well. I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

These illustrations were GORGEOUS. My 3 year old boy loved learning about the birth of our Savior. He wasn't old enough to appreciate some of the facts but he liked to point out things in the pictures and asked a lot of questions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zonderkidz for an advanced reading copy of this book. It will be released to publishers on October 7, 2025.

The wonders of the first Christmas is great for upper elementary students who want to find out more about the first Christmas, from a biblical standpoint to a historical standpoint.

A great buy for parents and church leaders!

this is a retelling of the nativity story, lovely book, enjoyed the illustrations and the story. would highly recommend

Thank you ZonderKidz for allowing me to read and review The Wonders of the First Christmas (Explore the Birth of Jesus through History, Archaeology, and Art) by Andy McGuire on NetGalley.

Published: 10/07/25

Stars: 4

McGuire traditionally tells the birth of Jesus with muted colored illustrations respectfully done. In addition, he gives explanations and definitions of terms that relate to the times.

The formatting caught my attention. There is the story itself, and throughout the pages are information boxes. I liked the setup.

Giftable.

As an adult, this Christmas story didn’t add much that I didn’t already know; however, I appreciated the fun animal facts sprinkled in. I always loved how animals are featured in the story, and our own family nativity has more animals than people peering down at baby Jesus. The illustrations in this book were absolutely lovely and done up in calming and peaceful colors. This would be a wonderful addition to a child’s personal library.

Thank you to Zonderkidz and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Well written and kept the retelling of the account of the birth of Jesus simple. The account says that the word translated a carpenter more likely means builder and that Joseph probably worked building houses which meant he worked with stones. I can find some info on this online but not much and the bibliography is vague. At there risk of being overly critical, I will share that there is reference to "wild ass" meaning a type of donkey- some families will object to this and there was no reason to include that random reference: "Donkeys are ancestors of the African wild ass, which has stripes on its legs like a zebra." The book says the shepherds were watching their sheep but the illustration shows a shepherd clearly sleeping on top of a rock- I'm sure they did sleep now and then lol but it seems unnecessary to show that in this context. The book doesn't address the "how many wise men were there?" aspect and shows 3 travelers. It does point out that they probably didn't visit Jesus as an infant and that he was more likely 2 or 3 years old.
Thank you to Netgalley and Zonderkidz for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a lifelong Christian but one who has not read The Bible completely, I like to read biblical stories that are set at a child’s level. This helps me to ensure understanding of difficult concepts even though I am an avid reader who reads at a collegiate level. But, when it comes to The Bible, I just feel better absorbing the stories at a child’s level. So, I was more than happy to review this new children’s book that explores the story of The Nativity from new and different aspects.

What first enticed me to the book was the illustrations and I really enjoyed the artwork with its muted soft tones throughout the story. But I also enjoyed all of the new information regarding what was considered a manger during this time period and that all the “inns” were actually second-floor guest rooms that were full. And that Jesus was more likely born on the first floor of one of these buildings because that is where the animals were housed. I enjoyed learning about the shepherds and the wise men and how angels are truly represented in The Bible.

I liked that this story takes you beyond just the night of Christ’s birth into His early years and the reason for His family’s flight into Egypt. And the information regarding all of the different animals is insightful and relevant teaching to the age group for which this book is intended.

My only issue with this being a children’s book was the word “kill” as regards Herod wanting to assassinate Jesus as a baby. I thought maybe “harm” would be a better word. But my husband, who has read The Bible in its entirety, believes this is perfectly normal biblical language and not too harsh for today’s children.

So, as a parent or grandparent who might be reading this book to a young child, just know that Herod’s feelings toward Jesus are explored. Otherwise, I found this book to be a lovely and well-researched inclusion into the story of Jesus’ conception and birth.

Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are expressly my own.

The Wonders of the First Christmas by Andy McGuire is a children's book that talks about the birth of Christ and also give some historical information about what some of the references actually meant. It explains a little about the Wise Men, shepherds, and even the manger. This book is a "picture book" that is great for young children, but it also is nice reading for adults and children of all ages. Thank you NetGalley.com.

“The Wonders of the First Christmas”
(Explore the Birth of Jesus through History, Archaeology, and Art) by Andy McGuire
A Very Good 1st Christmas Book
The story is well done as is the art work. The ‘Fact Blocks’ are, for me, what sets this book apart from the others. I would enjoy reading this book with little ones and hear their questions and exclamations, too! Happy Reading ! !