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The Friendly Beasts: A Christmas Poem with Music

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This about the day that Jesus was born.

21 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1983

12 people want to read

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Unknown

506k books3,208 followers
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Kaitlin Martin.
160 reviews18 followers
July 29, 2022
I was not expecting to weep today...
What gift will YOU give Emmanuel?
Profile Image for Heather.
929 reviews
March 28, 2016
Odd name for a religious book.

I feel like I was thrust into the middle of a story, by how it started out with "And."
‘And Joseph also went up frm Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.’
-I literally had to reread that to make sense of it. so he left Galilee, which is in Nazareth, traveled to Judaea, and then to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.
And now I’m gasping for breath.

‘and so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.’ huh? that doesn't even make sense!

‘Jesus our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around him Him stood;
Jesus our brother, kind and good.’’
-Never heard him described as “brother.” Wish it had rhymed!

‘cooed him to sleep, my mate&I.
We cooed him to sleep, my mate&I.”
The first line was cool. But the second didn't sound good.

Rooster with a “shining eye.”
Crowed the news up to the sky. Cool.
But you could have used something better to describe him than his “shining eye.”
Perhaps his red plume, or green tail feathers. Or his crow.

Cool how he wore the sheep’s wool on “Christmas morn.”

Camel all yellow&black. They’re not those colors!

The repetition could have been left out.
‘of the gift he gave Emmanuel.
The gift he gave Emmanuel.’

Seeing the entire song at the end, it makes more sense. It prob sounds better as a song.
because just reading it with the repetitions didn't sound that good, especially in certain places.

I like how on the last page there’s a scene of the manger with all the animals gathered around.
This is a nice book for very young children to start them off on Jesus’ story.
Profile Image for Katherine.
235 reviews2 followers
December 24, 2008
Quaint. I bet my husband's grandmother would love it, especially with the song printed on the back page so she can play it on the piano. I love the smaller-sized Little Golden books for little hands. The boys would probably enjoy looking at the pictures.
Profile Image for Christina.
208 reviews
February 1, 2015
Great little illustrations. The last one shows the stable set into the side of a hill or cave, which reminds me of Chesterton's bit about the nativity in Everlasting Man.

A First Little Golden Book illustrated by Ruth Sanderson. isbn 0307681483
Profile Image for Jill.
168 reviews6 followers
Read
January 9, 2019
“So every beast, by some good spell,
In the stable dark, was glad to tell,
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel.”
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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