M IS FOR MANGER BY CRYSTAL BOWMAN

Since I signed up to blog review for Tyndale, I've been offered almost exclusively nonfiction. I rarely read advice or Christian living books, so I was happy to come across this Christmas-themed picture book instead. It’s designed for parents to read aloud to their very small children and is packed with beautiful illustrations and a thoughtful layout. M is for Manger tells the story of Jesus’ birth using the alphabet—each letter is assigned to a word vital to the nativity story and a small companion verse about the word is on the following page. There is also a Scripture quote to accompany each little bit of story.

I thought this book was truly lovely. An opening, blank dedication page makes it perfect to give as a Christmas gift to a tiny grandkid or nephew/niece this Christmas, and the alphabetical method of storytelling is intuitive and effective. For instance: “D is for Dream—“ section talks about Joseph’s dream concerning Mary’s miraculous conception and is followed by the corresponding verse “While Joseph thought about this, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream.” Little traditions like reading aloud this storybook will help imprint the facts of Jesus’ birth on your kids or grandkid’s minds.