Christmas Story

by Kay Chorao

An adaptation from the King James Version of the Bible tells the nearly two-thousand-year-old story of the birth of Jesus Christ

Genres: Christmas, Childrens, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Kay Chorao is a children's writer and illustrator.

She was born Ann McKay Sproat in Elkhart, Indiana, United States, into a middle-class, suburban family. She loved and was encouraged to draw at a young age. She attended Laurel School in Shaker Heights, OH. Chorao went to Wheaton College, where in 1958 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in art history. After that, Chorao pursued her graduate study at Chelsea School of Art from 1958 to 1959.

Chorao got married and had three sons before moving to New York with her family. From 1966 to 1968, she studied book illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York.

Besides writing self-illustrated children's books, Chorao has been the illustrator for many books by Jane Yolen, Judith Viorst, Jan Wahl, and Marjorie Sharmat.

Reviews

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely version. Chorao has decorated the intial letter and encased it in a border on each page. The final scene shows a very young Jesus, with a border of scenes from His older years, including walking on water; the bread and fishes; and the wedding at Cana.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am finding a lot of Christmas books at the thrift stores. I love children Christmas stories, so it has been so nice to find more. At the back of the book, this description is given: "The text in this book is adapted from the Book of Luke 2:1-21 and the Book of Matthew 2:1-12, in the King James version of the Bible." Some actual text is used and blended with a contemporary telling. I thought it was done very well. The illustrations are beautiful and inspired by some Renaissance masters.

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best subject matter. But the writing was kinda flat and the author took odd angles.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very beautifully illustrated Christmas story book. The story is almost word for word out of the Bible a few other words mixed in. So if you would like to read the Bible story to your child with illustrations that bring the story to life you'd enjoy this book.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art really wasn't so great, and I think this could've been written better.