The Animals’ Christmas

Writing in colloquial, easy language, Pasquali crafts an accessible Nativity story inspired by Isaiah 11 (“Wolves and sheep will live together in peace, and leopards will lie down with young goats”). The opening line, “Even after everything came true, Mary could never quite believe what had happened,” grabs readers’ attention, and animals appear in every scene, suggesting the possibility of a peaceable kingdom. Ferri’s watercolor-and-pencil illustrations in soft blues, reds, and golds feature gentle-eyed animals with placement almost as prominent as the human participants. Bible extracts are from the Good News Bible. Ages 7–9. (Dec.)