What do you think?
The Animals' Christmas Eve
arrives in a protective sleeve, #154, 1978 edition
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 22, 2021
A cute little story about farm animals. My niece wanted all the animals haha!
July 23, 2018
This is a wonderful book to read to your children around Christmas time. Recommended.
December 20, 2016
My Christmas book for the day
A sweet counting & rhyming picture book of Christmas
Read it with your little ones
A sweet counting & rhyming picture book of Christmas
Read it with your little ones
December 31, 2022
Sweet children's county story told in rhyme as the animals in the barn retell the first Christmas story. Lovely pictures.
December 18, 2016
The Animals' Christmas Eve:
I saw this at a local bookshop and swore it was the book my grandma had since I was a kid and put out every Christmas.
The first page wasn't familiar.
I like the rhymes.
It's cool how the donkeys remembered one of their kind who was part of the nativity. '5 gray donkeys speak with pride,
Remembering one who gave a ride:
"Our brother donkey went with them
From Nazareth to Bethlehem."
& 'six spotted calves now nibble hay
Like that on which the baby lay.'
Cool to tie modern times to olden ones.
The page with the star in the sky is pretty. I love that color blue, and the yellow star with the white circles around it. Very pretty!
They also tie in the modern sheep with the long ago shepherds, which I liked.
I like the scene outside the barn behind the sheep; the blue night sky.
&the green and blue on the shepherds page.
I didnt like that they had used the baby lambs, after having already used sheep until I read the line "He was the Lamb of God who came." So it ended up really fitting.
That's sweet that the puppies were listening well, so that they'd be able to tell the Christmas story next year. That's makes me wonder how the kittens knew it if the puppies didn't.
This was nice: '& every beast bows low it's head
For one small babe in a manger bed.'
I saw this at a local bookshop and swore it was the book my grandma had since I was a kid and put out every Christmas.
The first page wasn't familiar.
I like the rhymes.
It's cool how the donkeys remembered one of their kind who was part of the nativity. '5 gray donkeys speak with pride,
Remembering one who gave a ride:
"Our brother donkey went with them
From Nazareth to Bethlehem."
& 'six spotted calves now nibble hay
Like that on which the baby lay.'
Cool to tie modern times to olden ones.
The page with the star in the sky is pretty. I love that color blue, and the yellow star with the white circles around it. Very pretty!
They also tie in the modern sheep with the long ago shepherds, which I liked.
I like the scene outside the barn behind the sheep; the blue night sky.
&the green and blue on the shepherds page.
I didnt like that they had used the baby lambs, after having already used sheep until I read the line "He was the Lamb of God who came." So it ended up really fitting.
That's sweet that the puppies were listening well, so that they'd be able to tell the Christmas story next year. That's makes me wonder how the kittens knew it if the puppies didn't.
This was nice: '& every beast bows low it's head
For one small babe in a manger bed.'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2016
The rhyming didn't suit the story. I think it would have been better had the story not rhymed, especially since the rhyming wasn't great. But I guess it would make it more engaging and fun for kids.
I also didn't think it was a good idea at all to have animals telling the story. They were actually talking and telling the whole story. What a dumb idea. Why not have the people telling the story, because, you know, people can actually talk. It made no sense to have the animals speaking once all the people have left.
It was cute though that the donkeys were remembering one who gave a ride. I also thought it was cute how the story was incorporated, that the calves are munching on hay that was like the baby Jesus lay on.
The page with the big star shining over Bethlehem was pretty. He sky was such a pretty shade of blue and there were circles of light around the star and rays of light spreading out.
The last page was cute with the animals all bowing their heads at midnight on Christmas.
I also didn't think it was a good idea at all to have animals telling the story. They were actually talking and telling the whole story. What a dumb idea. Why not have the people telling the story, because, you know, people can actually talk. It made no sense to have the animals speaking once all the people have left.
It was cute though that the donkeys were remembering one who gave a ride. I also thought it was cute how the story was incorporated, that the calves are munching on hay that was like the baby Jesus lay on.
The page with the big star shining over Bethlehem was pretty. He sky was such a pretty shade of blue and there were circles of light around the star and rays of light spreading out.
The last page was cute with the animals all bowing their heads at midnight on Christmas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2023
The art in this… fantastic…
April 22, 2016
This has been always one of my favorite Christmas Golden Books to read since I loved animals so hearing the Nativity from the animals is a wonderful way to go. And it is always interesting to see what you pick up on when you are re-reading a book for the first time after having not read it in a long time and now I can see it as a counting book so apparently my younger self didn't really pay attention to details that much.
The story is a beautiful one that relates the Nativity in a brief yet memorable rhyming way as the animals contribute to the story or remember others of their species who partook in the special events. What made this special to me as I re-read it was to see the kittens telling a part since there is a Christmas legend that explains the tabby's M on its forehead was put there by the Virgin Mary as a memorial to the cat who purred Baby Jesus to sleep.
And I love the illustrations for they are quiet and subdued in a way that is fitting to the story. Most of the Golden Books have the same type of illustrations and this quietly solemn artwork is the crème of this book.
And may it bless your Christmas reading as you share it with your loved young ones....
The story is a beautiful one that relates the Nativity in a brief yet memorable rhyming way as the animals contribute to the story or remember others of their species who partook in the special events. What made this special to me as I re-read it was to see the kittens telling a part since there is a Christmas legend that explains the tabby's M on its forehead was put there by the Virgin Mary as a memorial to the cat who purred Baby Jesus to sleep.
And I love the illustrations for they are quiet and subdued in a way that is fitting to the story. Most of the Golden Books have the same type of illustrations and this quietly solemn artwork is the crème of this book.
And may it bless your Christmas reading as you share it with your loved young ones....
December 17, 2017
Copyright 1977. This is a Little Golden Book.
This is a sweet story told in rhyme about a stable of animals recalling Christ's birth. One of my kid's favorites.
This is a sweet story told in rhyme about a stable of animals recalling Christ's birth. One of my kid's favorites.
January 10, 2018
Fun rhymes to help introduce young children to the Christmas story. Also works as a counting primer.
October 11, 2018
If you are a practicing Christian you will enjoy this book for your kids. This book is very religious. Written in rhyme style, it's a story about the animals in a barn remembering the very first Christmas.
January 6, 2021
My kid really didn't get that the number of animals was counting up to 12 like the 12 days of Christmas and just thought 11 puppies was insane. It's fine. The rhyming was less than successful...I feel like if you're gonna do this you have to make it singable.
December 31, 2021
I read this book every year around Christmas time. It never fails to bring me joy. The illustrations are all so cute and pull it together nicely.
I recommend this book as an introduction for little kids into the birth of Jesus.
I recommend this book as an introduction for little kids into the birth of Jesus.
May 26, 2018
Christmas Eve as told by the animals.
March 15, 2019
Really liked the Christmas story coming from the animals. Very cute.
December 15, 2020
Animals in a barn tell the Nativity story.
This picture book book also teaches counting up 1 to 12.
This picture book book also teaches counting up 1 to 12.
April 24, 2021
What a tender version of the Christmas story told bu the animals. The pictures are very nice and it reads well.
November 5, 2021
The animals in the barn tell the story of Christmas night as told them by their ancestors who were there.
August 2, 2022
A nice book for Christian parents to read to their children.
December 5, 2022
A counting book, a farm animal book, and most of all a book about the nativity story. Beautifully illustrated, sweetly told.
January 9, 2023
Cute Christmas counting book. Very basic retelling of the nativity. My 3-year old loves it so much I always have to read it twice. Going to hide it till next Christmas!
December 12, 2023
Beautifully written rhyming book about the animals remembering Christmas night and counting down from ten animals to the one baby Jesus!!
December 15, 2023
Cute. With G.
January 7, 2024
Great children’s book to convey the birth of Jesus the Messiah❤️
January 16, 2024
For pre-k thru gr 2, had children make animal sounds for each new animal.
Read
December 19, 2024Read with Iz :)
December 30, 2024
Bought this for a Christian class I was teaching, got one for each of my students. Beautiful book.
June 24, 2025
A favorite book to read to little children at Christmas. It's very sweet and reverent. I've purchased additional copies to give to families with young children.
June 27, 2025
☆☆☆☆☆
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In case you’re wondering I’m reading these books to my sister. But this is a pretty good Christmas book to read to your younger siblings !!
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In case you’re wondering I’m reading these books to my sister. But this is a pretty good Christmas book to read to your younger siblings !!
December 21, 2025
This is one of the more beautiful and heartwarming, religious, Christmas stories for children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews