The Ballad of Matthew's Begats: An Unlikely Royal Family Tree

by Andrew Peterson, Cory Godbey (Illustrator)

Who says all those "begats" in the first chapter of Matthew aren't fun to read? Kids and parents will have fun reading and singing along with this joyful Andrew Peterson song. The lyrics tell not only of the Biblical list of relatives, but for the first time, kids will learn why the "begats" are extremely important. This story and song demonstrate that Abraham's long lineage lead directly to the most important Bible character ever . . . Jesus Christ.

This special book bridges the Old Testament and New Testament, showing Jesus' birth as part of God's plan from the very beginning. Interesting "Did You Know?" elements featured throughout the book to give kids fun facts about this Unlikely Royal Family Tree.

Genres: Childrens, Christian, Religion, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Christmas

30 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2007

About the author

Hey, folks. If you're just discovering me or any of my work, it can be a little confusing because there are several facets to it. Here’s the rundown:

• I write songs. I also record them to these cool things called CDs and put on concerts around the country. (And beyond! To my great delight, I get to play in Europe every year or so.)

• I write books. I’ve written a four-part fantasy series for young readers called the Wingfeather Saga, along with Pembrick's Creaturepedia and A Ranger's Guide to Glipwood Forest. The Wingfeather Animated Series is wonderful, and you can watch for free over at Angel.com. I've written two memoirs: Adorning the Dark, and The God of the Garden.

• I'm the founder of the Rabbit Room, a community of songwriters, authors, and artists interested in storytelling, faith, and fellowship.

• I'm married to Jamie, and we have three sweet (grown) children, each of whom has a (grown) spouse (who is also sweet), and one very sweet granddaughter. We live in a magical place we call the Warren, just south of Nashville.

The common thread in all this is my love for Christ and his Kingdom, my belief in the power of story and art, and my need for family and community. If I had to boil it all down, I'd say this: I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can. Andrew-peterson.com

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Song on CD is fun. Illustrations by Cory Godbey. Woot.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite illustrations.

[Sarah Poling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that reviews how Jesus was the right baby born to the right father, the right mother, in the right lineage, at the right time, in the right place, as the prophets foretold. It's also a song!

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for an unusually delightful addition to your Advent tradition? How about a bluegrass rendition of Jesus' genealogy as delivered in Matthew1:2-6? The "begats" are a section many readers are tempted to skim over to get to the "real" story, but included in Jesus' family history are many people from familiar Old Testament stories, those that make it to flannelgraph and those who only get a verse or two in the books of Kings. The begats ground the humanity of Jesus in the long history of God's relationship with Israel and are vitally significant to his incarnation.

Andrew Peterson, as part of his unforgettable meditations on Jesus' incarnation in Behold the Lamb of God, puts the dreary "begats" into a fast-paced and funny bluegrass song. This book provides a joyous, lively illustrated rendition, with a cd version of the song included. The long historical story, presented as snapshots from a family photo album, builds to a dramatic visual climax of the Nativity, which is powerfully evocative of the transforming hope that Jesus brought.

The song is appropriate for all ages, but the book (with informational sidebars about some of the characters) is best for ages 4 and up. The song is fast-paced enough that it is quite difficult to listen while turning the pages of the book, so the two are best used as complements to one another rather than trying to combine them.

[Carla Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a Good Reads story. I've wanted to read this book since its release. Behold the Lamb of God, the album which contains the song "Matthew's Begats," is one of my favorite albums (and a favorite Christmas album, for sure). When a friend's daughters posted their review on Good Reads, I commented on that desire.

Tonight the girls (and their parents!) had me over to dinner, and afterward I read the girls several books before and between dessert and coffee. We picked up this book and it was as lovely as I'd hoped. The illustrations are gorgeous and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in children's books (whether you're a parent or not).

[kate and lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girls enjoy "reading" this book (really, I sing through it, then I go back and we talk about the people and things we remember from ) The Jesus Storybook Bible and Godly Play stories at church. It's perfect during advent when we are aiming even more particularly to tie together stories.

[Roy]

The illustrations in this book is beautiful. Kai tonight identified himself with the last picture of a mom reading to her son. Wonder if Kai will memorise the song before I do? :)

[Corey Zipperer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and informative addition to an excellent song. We just received it for Christmas and enjoy the additional text and illustrations.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children love singing along with this book and pointing to each character as they sing his or her name. Such a clever song.