The Fourth Wise Man

by Susan Summers, Jackie Morris (Illustrator)

Because he stops to help those in need, the fourth wise man Artaban never makes it to the stable to pay homage to the baby Jesus, but his journey, a lifelong search for virtue, takes him further than he ever imagined possible.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Spirituality, Fiction, Book Club

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Connie T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fourth Wise Man is an adaptation of The Other Wise Man which was initially published in 1895 by Henry van Dyke. The idea is that there was a fourth wise man, bearing three gifts, journeying to Bethlehem on the night of Jesus' birth. This man, Artaban, is delayed, misses the event, and spends the next thirty three years searching for the King of Kings. During this time, he ends up using his three gifts to help others avoid death.

This is a tale I've never heard and it's an interesting one. I find it odd that it's on "one spring night" that the wise men see the Star of Bethlehem. Not your typical Christmas story but still worthy of a read.

[Bethany Witemeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about this book: The illustrations were good, and I enjoyed the way that elements of scripture and Jesus's teachings were woven in.

What I had slight misgivings about: The fourth wise man is described as having a pagan religion, and that plays a slight role in the story, yet that's never really addressed. Even though this is a children's book, this felt a little problematic to me.

Overall, though, I like the idea of this story and enjoyed reading it!

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book club was scheduled to read Henry van Dyke's "The Mansion" and " The Other Wiseman" for our December books, but as I was unable to get either one at my library, I checked out this children's adaptation instead. I'm glad I did. It had all that was familiar and important from van Dyke's Magi story, plus some lovely illustrations as well. We actually read it out loud during our group meeting.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale retold based on Henry Van Dyke‘s story, is a new one to our Christmas rotation and it instantly joined the ranks of favorites. it is a longer picture book geared towards probably ages eight or nine and up but a wonderful story to re-read every year.

[Trey Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story that connects to the stories we traditionally tell at Christmas in such a way that also reminds us what it means to be followers of Jesus.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for children and adults.

[Kate K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads said that I can count books I re-read towards my annual reading challenge. Did they mean to include picture books?

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's version of a favorite.

[skcocnaH · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness. This book 😍. I may have shed a tear. It was absolutely lovely. So glad my librarian recommended this to me.

[Carly Hales · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story about doing unto the least of these.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

After enjoying Henry Van Dyke's "The Story of the Other Wise Man," I looked forward to reading this picture book retelling. It's beautiful and brought tears to my eyes just as the original story did.

[Becky Galambos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small (40 pages) book, but some deep lessons. More to read to kids, lots of words in small print.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story - highly recommend.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful rendering of this fictitious story for children.

Ages: 6 - 10

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Andabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the The Fourth Wise Man tells the tale of Artaban, who just happens to be one of the wise men of the nativity account. Through a series of unforeseen circumstance, he is separated from the other wise men, and ends up on his own journey to find the child who would become the king of the Jews.

After reading this book a couple times, I have come to the conclusion that it's just a fun book that adds its own spin to a story that has been told throughout the ages. I was particularly impressed with some of the illustrations in this book, and the synergy that it had with the text. It enhanced the reading experience, and I would definitely give it another read again.

[Doree Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artaban never meets up with the other Three Wise Men--he is delayed because of an act of kindness to another. He spends the entire span of Christ's life trying to see the King, only to reach Him upon His resurrection. This is a beautiful story about acting like Christ while trying to see Him.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story which combines the Nativity with the Easter Story. It was much less Christmas oriented than I had bargained for, but I think would make for great Easter reading.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good children's story based on Van Dyke's other wiseman story. Better than the picture book by another author.

[EvaLovesYA · Rating 3 out of 5]

En del af mine juleanbefalinger!
Jeg lavede en liste med forskellige, både kendt og også ukendte tekster, som jeg nød at læse i december måned. Dette er én af dem!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great message about doing what He teaches!

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: read next Christmas. Best version/closest to Henry Van Dyke’s original story