The First Night

by B.G. Hennessy

A simple retelling of the birth of Jesus with emphasis on the quiet time before the arrival of the shepherds, angels, and kings.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Childrens, Fantasy

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

As a child I loved to draw-but I also loved books, especially picture books. I still remember certain illustrations, covers and bindings from books that were read to me as a young girl.
I’ve lived in many places: I grew up in Wantagh on Long Island, N.Y., graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts and attended St. Lawrence University in upstate New York.

At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I majored in fine art and learned how to design, print and bind handmade books. I also took courses in Children’s Literature. The combination of form and content in the picture book format fascinated me and after graduation I headed for NYC where I worked for 17 years in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. But I didn’t begin to write until I had children of my own.

My books have been published in many countries and in many different languages. You can find my books in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Germany. Some of my books have been translated into German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Tswana, Sesotho, and Zulu!

I now live with my family in Arizona. You can read more about me at my website: www.bghennessy.com

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute simple nativity story with beautiful illustrations.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fiction; Juvenile
2 stars

This book gets three stars from me for the artwork, which is pretty good. However, I was disappointed in the story because while it portrays the birth of Jesus Christ, there is no mention of the wonderful significance of that day. (His name is never mentioned in the story)

Rather, as the back cover puts it, "In those first quiet hours, Jesus was like any other baby , waking up in a strange new world."

As a christian, Jesus was NOT like any other baby. Yes, He came to the world through infant birth and looked upon it as a newborn would and perhaps that is what the author intended to represent here, but the overall feel was that the child in the story was 'just another baby.'

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique illustrations made with acrylic paint on butternut wood, with lines cut with a carving tool, then photographed and the color transparencies were used for the book. Woah! Such intricate and masterful work used to tell the story of Jesus' first night on earth as a baby. Very simple narration short enough for the shortest attention spans, yet so deep with meaning and beauty at the same time.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not much text. Too simple. Not going to work for an advent book for my 1st grade CCD class.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when I start recognizing author names. We had this one in our Christmas books collection. I love its simple sensory details. It has awesome illustrations too!

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and sweet introduction to the Christmas story.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such gentle illustrations. Great book for beginning readers or for parents who want a quick book to read to their little ones.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple retelling of the nativity story, with text on one side of the page, and an illustration in a simple border on the facing page. This is a book that could be shared with very young children. The pictures are rather somber and dark, conveying the sense of night time and the historic event.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, as it is told, lacks luster. This is such a powerful tale, but the way that it is told does not impress me whatsoever. I did however really enjoy the illustrations. They were absolutely beautiful. Which is why I am giving it three stars. But I also know this tale and it is a classic

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple words and pictures describe the manger scene that welcomed the Christ child.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it because it was SO simple. It is beautifully illustrated.

[Shauntel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christmas story. I liked that it had simple words and pictures, but I just didn't like the text that much.

[Marta Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple retelling of the Nativity...

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is a nice simple way to present children with the Christmas story. I really wish though that it included proper nouns (Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph, Jesus vs. the city, mother, father, baby).

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was simple, the paintings were good. I liked the simplicity to the book. The kids liked it too, they knew exactly who this story was about.

[Monica Tomasello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations accompany the simple retelling in this version of the nativity story.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and very simple text tell the story of Jesus' birth.

[Liz Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple.. Perfect for toddler age.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very, very simple telling of the Nativity with beautiful illustrations.