This Is the Stable

by Cynthia Cotten, Delana Bettoli (Illustrator)

A gorgeous, poetic new version of the Nativity story

Wondrous things are happening in this humble little stable. The animals are gathering round. Shepherds and wise men and angels are coming from afar. All of them are flocking to see the Christ child, born this night in Bethlehem.

Illustrated in the gorgeous tropical hues of the region and told in lyrical verses perfect for reading aloud, this is a retelling of the Nativity that will be treasured for many Christmases to come.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Christian, Religion, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2006

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely picture book about the people and places of the nativity. Bettoli's illustrations reminded me a lot of Tomie de Paola, but they're clearly her own style. This Is the Stable is in the style of "The House that Jack Built," so it focuses on identifying objects, places, and people, and would be helpful for children learning about their nativity playsets/decor for the first time. A truly lovely book that I would love to own someday.

[Casey Carback · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to a toddler at church today. He liked pointing out all the characters in the story, I liked the art.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ages: 4 - 8

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. I nice retelling of the Christmas story for young children. Good for 3-7 yr olds.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful simple verse set to absolutely gorgeous illustrations. This is going in my permanent collection, even if it may technically be too young for any of us.

[Susan Chapek]

A lovely seasonal book.
Cynthia Cotten's verses are wonderful read-alouds.

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not like the illustrations. They don't look like the Jewish people, you can't just change how people look. Read the bible if you want some references of what they looked like back then.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet picture book is a retelling of the nativity story using lyrical rhyming text and warmly colored illustrations. From the brown and dusty stable to the star shining brightly above, this cumulative poem would be a nice read aloud to share as a bedtime story or with a Sunday School group as a read aloud during the holiday season.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: The story of Christmas.

Why Did I Read This: RAR December booklist

Review: I really dislike rhyming books that aren't well written. This is not well written. What I will say is that the illustrations are good. The thing that I appreciate the most is that the characters look Middle Eastern instead of white washed.

[Sarah Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple retelling of the birth of Christ. This is the Stable... a book that repeats key facts and shares all that happened from the biblical narrative with a hook and description of the location, and characters (animals, people, stars,...) that fulfilled the prophecy of the OT. All with just a few words and a great hook for kids.

[John Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read aloud and perfect for young children. It is written in the format as "The House That Jack Built" with repetition that explains people and places (and animals too). It is also a good introduction to the story of Christmas. Illustrations are colorful and vibrant and compliment the text very well.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent Christmas book that tells the Christmas story, without actually telling the story. Each page tells about something or someone, this is the stable, this is the cow, this is the mother. Sort of like the Christmas song "The Friendly Beasts"

[Bee (BacchusVines) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is rhyming common in picture books? I can never remember...

I enjoyed this story. I love how the baby and the wise men were drawn. I love the strokes in the pigments of the illustrations. They're soft with few hard lines, and the colors remind me of hope and sunrise and light.

This is the Stable is a typical nativity story, but with this art work, it's a bit more special than the others.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful nativity story, told somewhat in the "This is the house that Jack built" formula. All the rhymes make it easy for children (even before they can read) to help with the "reading" of the story. Nice illustrations, and a great way to share the nativity story with the kids.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Own

[Set · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like the illustrations, they don't look Jewish, they look Native American.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in the book are very colorful and life-like. A retelling of the story of the nativity is very simple and told in verse, but includes a great deal of information for a young reader.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nativity story is told from different perspectives in a poetic, heart-warming way, from the animals to the angels and shepherd's proclaiming glory to God.

[Angela Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustration and verse

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shout-out to the illustrator, Delana Bettoli, for a Mary and Joseph who actually look Middle Eastern.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story that sets the scene in the stable in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus.

It starts with a repeating pattern, but doesn't quite carry it through the whole book.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While we read children's Bibles throughout the year, at Christmastime and Eastertime it is helpful to have a few books that tell the story in new, fresh ways.

"This is the Stable" is one of those few precious books. The book is simple and the rhymes are not stunning in their execution, but the characterization of the role of the stable, animals, star, etc. captures a wonder-filled look at the nativity. We are enjoying it this year and i hope to enjoy it again in future years!

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite nativity book (not that I'm an expert or anything). But the cadence of the poetry (slightly following the pattern of this is the house that jack built, in tying things together) and the illustrations blow me away. Seriously when I turned the page to the angels visiting the shepherds Ellie gasped at the artwork, and I can't blame her. A picture book whose words are able to bring reverence and awe to the story is a perfect combination with the art. Love it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Browsing books to give my friends' children as gifts since I won't gift anything I haven't first read myself.

This is the kind of book I was looking for! I love the artwork, especially the way angel wings framed so many of the images. The story itself rhymes and it is formatted in the style of "this is the house that Jack built," which is a comfortable pattern to read. It told the Nativity story in a gentle, childlike way. This will for sure go on the gift list!

[Kirsta · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this one multiple times a day at my house. The cadence of this story is mesmorizing. The illustrations are beyond compare (I have debated framing one of the pages for it's beauty). I highly recommend this book.

[aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

while searching for Christmas books for the kids, i found this one and fell in love. i love the simple prose and the illustrations are beautiful. i'm planning on buying it to keep in our Christmas box..

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book is a retelling of the Nativity Story.

The story of the birth of Jesus is retold using a rhythm and rhyme scheme similar to the poem "The House That Jack Built." The text is a bit stilted, but the illustrations are gentle and warm.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully simple telling of the Christmas story, in a calming, repetitive way. The illustrations are beautiful and the flow of the words is perfectly paced. I've added this one to our home shelves and I'm sure we'll read it each year at Christmas time. One of my new favorites!

[Lisa Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written poem about the birth of Jesus. It takes you through different elements of the story, but all centered on the humble stable where he was born. The illustrations weren't my favorite, but my kids loved it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork was nice in this story of the nativity. Rhyming was used to tell the story. This was one of the books I checked out of the library to tell to young children, at our churches nativity event.