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Bright Christmas : An Angel Remembers
Retells the story of the Nativity from an angel's point of view and tells how Earth was made ready for that one special, glorious evening.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 1996
About the author
Andrew Clements
140 books2,250 followersI was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1949 and lived in Oaklyn and Cherry Hill until the middle of sixth grade. Then we moved to Springfield, Illinois. My parents were avid readers and they gave that love of books and reading to me and to all my brothers and sisters. I didn’t think about being a writer at all back then, but I did love to read. I'm certain there's a link between reading good books and becoming a writer. I don't know a single writer who wasn’t a reader first.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 17, 2022
It's not entirely biblically accurate. Some of the timing is off, and some of the things God did, or that the angel says the angels did. So maybe read through first and see for yourself before reading with your children.
Ages: 4 - 8
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Ages: 4 - 8
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 23, 2024
One of my all time favorite Christmas books. Gorgeous story and illustrations. My five year old boy was mesmerized.
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December 2, 2021This is a children's Christmas book I've had for years and it's always fun to visit this time of year.
This tells of Jesus' birth from the point of view of an angel and it's lovely. The illustrations are also spectacular.
I have a lot of nostalgia surrounding this book, so it's one I'll revisit time and time again.
This tells of Jesus' birth from the point of view of an angel and it's lovely. The illustrations are also spectacular.
I have a lot of nostalgia surrounding this book, so it's one I'll revisit time and time again.
May 13, 2022
Such a darling story about the recollections of an angel on Christmas night. The illustrations look like oil on canvas that are dark and mysterious. I can't say that the portrait of Mary is very flattering but the other paintings are beautiful.
December 10, 2018
This is such a beautiful book. One of my favorite Christmas books
January 4, 2022
The illustrations are lovely, but the storytelling is too ethereal for a children’s book. My children tolerated it, but wouldn’t ask for it again.
November 30, 2012
I just ran across this one today as I was pulling books for a Christmas book display. A very nice retelling of the Christmas story, told from the viewpoint of an Angel. The illustrations are beautiful. I liked it so much I looked into buying my own copy, only to find it seems to be out of print. :-( If you have a chance and enjoy hearing the Christmas story, I highly recommend visiting the library and checking this one out!
November 24, 2013
Beautiful story that connects the birth of Jesus with prophecies from the Old Testament prophets. Lyrical language indicates that angels are messengers from God. The paintings carefully reflect the buildings, costumes, and landscape of the time of Jesus' birth.
September 19, 2008
Great children's picture book that tells the Christmas story from the perspective of an angel. Would be a good Christmas gift to a family with children.
January 2, 2009
What a gorgeous book! One of the best Christmas picture books I've read in a long time. I'll be buying a copy of this one for our family to keep.
January 16, 2010
GREAT CHRISTMAS BOOK. WE LOVED IT!
July 1, 2016
Very well written.
December 27, 2013
The birth of baby Jesus, from the point of view of the angel who sang the song. Beautiful illustrations!
December 14, 2015
My favorite Christmas book to read each year. The illustrations are beautiful. I love the perspective of the angel.
September 26, 2022
5 stars
The Nativity as told by an angel. Stellar illustrations.
The Nativity as told by an angel. Stellar illustrations.
January 30, 2016
cute book
November 22, 2017
I really enjoyed the unique perspective of this beautiful picture book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews