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The Empty Manger
Before the beginning of a churchwide dinner on Christmas Eve, Paxton is given the honor of putting baby Jesus in the nativity scene at the end of the midnight service. The problem? Baby Jesus is missing, and it is up to him and his two friends to find Him.
With two hours on the clock, parents who aren’t too pleased with them skipping church, the constant worry of wrinkling their good clothes, and one jealous bully—what could go wrong?
With two hours on the clock, parents who aren’t too pleased with them skipping church, the constant worry of wrinkling their good clothes, and one jealous bully—what could go wrong?
109 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 8, 2024
Such a fun, sweet, beautiful Christmas story!!
I loved reading this to my siblings, and they loved it too. They kept telling me they didn't want it to end. Paxton, Noelle, and Lathabo were amazing characters who were relatable, funny, and caring. The message in this story was beautiful as well. It was nice to read a story set in church, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. And the ending was so sweet!
My siblings and I will be reading it again next year!🥰
I loved reading this to my siblings, and they loved it too. They kept telling me they didn't want it to end. Paxton, Noelle, and Lathabo were amazing characters who were relatable, funny, and caring. The message in this story was beautiful as well. It was nice to read a story set in church, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. And the ending was so sweet!
My siblings and I will be reading it again next year!🥰
October 6, 2025
Decided to read this today in honor of the first snow of the year (its October 5th), so that totally makes it close enough to Christmas
The book was adorable, I loved it
The book was adorable, I loved it
November 13, 2024
This book is so cute and fun! And it's perfect for the holiday season and, most importantly, putting Christ back into Christmas!! ❤️💚❤️💚
If you have a child in your life, I urge you DO NOT sleep on this book! This has such a great message and Paris Kaufman's way of writing is so enjoyable to read as well as the illustrations that accompany the story drawn by Mia Dorsch!
This is also a one-sitting read and I was able to read it super quickly! If you need a book to read on Christmas Eve night, maybe it could be a new tradition for your family 👀, I recommend this book!
If you have a child in your life, I urge you DO NOT sleep on this book! This has such a great message and Paris Kaufman's way of writing is so enjoyable to read as well as the illustrations that accompany the story drawn by Mia Dorsch!
This is also a one-sitting read and I was able to read it super quickly! If you need a book to read on Christmas Eve night, maybe it could be a new tradition for your family 👀, I recommend this book!
December 29, 2024
This book was such a fun read! Three kids on a mission to save Christmas service by finding baby Jesus for the nativity, and racing against the clock! The characters were so relatable and I loved their dynamics. Elijah was an amazing big brother and Paxton's anxiety throughout the whole night was so well written.
This book was such a fun Christmas read as a family!
Some quotes from my kids while we read this book included:
7yo : "Mom this is scarycan we stop?"
"whew my heart is racing"
"what if they don't find baby Jesus!?"
*Note this books isn't scary poor kid has clinical anxiety and doesn't even watch Disney shows for toddlers. He really enjoyed it once we got to the end and said his favorite character was Pastor Jacob!
4yo : "I want those kids to be in the chairs!" (In response to Mia Dorsh's illustration of the three empty chairs)
"that girl spined like this!" *Spun around in a circle mimicking the action we read aloud.* "Or did she do this? With a jump spin?"
We may never know.
Her favorite Character was Noelle.
This book was such a fun Christmas read as a family! I loved the wholesome message and the character dynamics!
So if you're looking for a great book to read as a family around Christmas time. Definitely give this one a shot!
This book was such a fun Christmas read as a family!
Some quotes from my kids while we read this book included:
7yo : "Mom this is scarycan we stop?"
"whew my heart is racing"
"what if they don't find baby Jesus!?"
*Note this books isn't scary poor kid has clinical anxiety and doesn't even watch Disney shows for toddlers. He really enjoyed it once we got to the end and said his favorite character was Pastor Jacob!
4yo : "I want those kids to be in the chairs!" (In response to Mia Dorsh's illustration of the three empty chairs)
"that girl spined like this!" *Spun around in a circle mimicking the action we read aloud.* "Or did she do this? With a jump spin?"
We may never know.
Her favorite Character was Noelle.
This book was such a fun Christmas read as a family! I loved the wholesome message and the character dynamics!
So if you're looking for a great book to read as a family around Christmas time. Definitely give this one a shot!
December 31, 2024
The Empty Manger was the perfect representation of what Christmas truly means. I loved the characters and how each person was able to grow even in a short period of time. I loved the representation of other cultures and being able to learn about them. I especially loved the ending! I think the author did an amazing job with this book and can't wait to share it with others!
November 16, 2024
I adored this story! It's the perfect read aloud for the whole family, and features so many amazing lessons for kiddos to learn--all while having the perfect amount of humor and mystery. I read it in one sitting, and I cannot wait to gift this book to youngsters in my life. This will become a Christmas tradition!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews