The Very First Christians

by Paul L. Maier

In the follow-up to The Very First Christmas and The Very First Easter, 12-year-old Christopher entreats his grandfather to tell him about the first Christians. Using the book of Acts as a foundation, Christopher's grandfather helps him visualize the significance of that historical time.Christopher learns about Peter, Paul, and Stephen. He discovers the important contributions each made to the Church. And he finds that these real stories are better than anything a storyteller could imagine.

The award-winning team of Paul L. Maier and Francisco Ordaz work together again to bring children a vivid picture of the first days of Christianity. The Very First Christians makes a wonderful gift for children, families, and friends.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Paul L. Maier was an American historian and novelist. He wrote several works of scholarly and popular non-fiction about Christianity and novels about Christian historians. He was the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, from which he retired in 2011, retaining the title of professor emeritus in the Department of History. He previously served as Third Vice President of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to get many of your child's questions about the nativity answered! Learn how the birth of Christ happened along with a little boy who's exceptionally curious.

Ages: 4 - 9

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!

[Dianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was disappointing for me. The story of Christ's birth is amazing and beautiful, but this story sucks all the beauty out of it with its didacticism. It feels like one big lecture, and kids never like a lecture (neither do I!). Also, it's waaaay long for a picture book that's meant to be read aloud. My five-year-old actually fell asleep in the middle of it (which has not happened since he was two!), and I was relieved I didn't have to read the rest.

My recommendation: just read Luke 2 from the Bible.

[Nicole Felten Castillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good way to explain the Christmas story to a child. It puts it in a way that they’ll really understand it. Cute illustrations also!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is gorgeous. The story is not worthy of the artwork. I would prefer my kids just read their Bibles or other Bible based books we have. I am having a hard time explaining why except that it just felt really flat.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The board book:

I had been looking for a book for my two-year-old that would explain the true story of the very first Christmas. I found myself frustrated in this search by the degree of fanciful additions to the story that many books contained, whether talking animals, focusing the story on a secondary or added "character," time travel, etc. (Not that these things are necessarily "bad" - I just want my kids to have a firm handle on the recorded story first, so they can more easily differentiate the real story from elements from someone else's imagination.)

In addition, while children's books require simplification, many that I have read about Bible stories (and other subjects, for that matter) leaned more in the direction of "dumbing down," with stupid-looking illustrations and text that assumes children can't understand much. All I wanted was something that was "just the facts" as told in Luke's gospel.

I'm happy that this is pretty much exactly that. It is very simple and not overlong. It only covers the main events (there's no mention of "virgin" or talk of Joseph initially contemplating divorce, etc.), but makes sure the important figures in the story are introduced in word or picture. Because it fits a lot of major events into a small book (intended for young children's attention spans, so it can't be too long), it may seem "choppy" in the beginning, but it does what it needs to do, and the illustrations are very well done -- realistic and warm, with detailed and believable facial expressions

This story is also clearly aimed at believers, so I suppose it is more than just recorded facts from Luke's gospel, but I'm glad for that too. My son loves it, and wants to read it again and again. I'm glad this will give him a basic overview of the events around Christmas, and we can fill in more details as he gets older.

Update (12/6/17): I've now had the chance to read the hardcover version as well:

It's longer, and the story is framed with a mother telling her son the Christmas story before bed. But this boy has told his mother that he doesn't want fairy tales anymore -- just facts! I can appreciate this longer version for what it's trying to do, and once again the images (many the same as the board book, but there are more of them here) are realistic and warm.

While this version is aimed toward older elementary kids, I thought the story went a bit too far beyond "just the facts" for my tastes. Not only did I have a hard time finding all of the mother/son interactions believable (some of his questions/comments are just a little too convenient to the narrative), but oftentimes the story veered into speculation that seemed unnecessary to me.

For example: we're told that Jesus was born "probably some time between July and December" (which I found interesting because I'd always been told that it was more likely to be in the spring since shepherds were out at night to help their sheep with lambing -- either way, that is an extrabiblical assumption), that Jesus was born around the year 5 B.C., and that the specific "cave" where Jesus was born has probably been found. Very little is said about the magi from the East, except that when they visited, Mary and Joseph were in a house so it must have been later (which, again, no one knows for sure). The information here seems to mostly stick to what's in Luke's gospel rather than Matthew's. There are no sources given in the book for the extrabibilical speculation, so I don't know where the author is getting his information on these points, which makes me hesitant to include it right along with the more important aspects of the story.

Overall it's a nice book and does include some important information from elsewhere in the Bible, such as the incarnation. But personally I'd rather just read my kids the story from the Bible unless they are specifically asking for more historical/scholarly information or speculation.

5 stars for the board book, 3 for the hardcover version

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to like this series, but I simply cannot figure out why it has been awarded so highly. The characters seem wooden and the "plot", such as it is, forced. The information presented does enhance understanding of the Biblical account, and perhaps that is why people like them? It is true the theology and respect for the Scriptures are here, but unpalatable. I would rather simply read the Biblical account to my children and answer their questions. Not recommended.

Other recommendations:
Buck Denver/ What's in the Bible Asks, "Why do we call it Christmas", DVD, Phil Vischer, date unknown
http://store.whatsinthebible.com/prod...

The Nativity, full length feature film, DVD, 2007
https://www.amazon.com/Nativity-Story...

[Sabrina Stern · Rating 1 out of 5]

The frame story makes this version insufferable. I had trouble getting through it and I am an adult.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like that on the opening page the author seems to bash other Christmas stories, with 'Grimmms fairy-tale settings, quaint old European towns, or wonders winter tableaus.' They write 'about four woodcarvers, sullen cobblers, or Ebenezer Scrooges who are transformed by the spirit of Christmas.' He calls them 'heartwarming, even if predictable' and says 'the great Source of the "spirit of Christmas" is overlooked.'
This is supposed to focus back on the meaning of Christmas 'where it belongs.' So I was already turned off of the author a bit.

Idt I knew that Joseph and Mary were descended from the royal line of King David. Or that King David had many wives so a lot of people were related to him at the time of the first Christmas. So it wasn't as special as it sounded.

Three hundred years after Jesus was born, December 25 was named as the 'date for Christmas.' He was born around 5 B.C. Around 500 years after Jesus was born, a Christian monk changed the calendar to what we use today, and he was off 4 or 5 years. We know Jesus was born around 2,000 years ago, probably between July and December. That's a big margin.

For at least 1,900 years Christians have said the cave beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was where Jesus was born.
By the time the Wise Men came, they were living in a house.
I've never heard that Mary might have told Luke about the first Christmas story.

He gets off one last parting shot: 'one thing he knew for sure. Real stories--especially God's story--were certainly better than fairy tales.'

What I did like about the illustrations are the way it captured light, like the lamp in the kid's bedroom shining in the characters' hair, the white robes the people wore, and the white light shining in on the angel that came to Mary.
The angels coming to the shepherds was a cool sight.

What I didn't like was that the author is all about authenticity at Christmas, yet the characters all looked white.
It felt like the author was on their soapbox, and shoving things in your face. Not my cup of tea at all. And I didn't like the way he bashed other Christmas writers. There's nothing wrong with A Christmas Carol, or any other classic Christmas story.

What I did like is that I learned new things and that it simplified some things and I think it's good for kids to learn about the first Christmas.

[Steve Hemmeke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at an antique store recently. Paul Maier is worth reading whatever the genre. Check out Pontius Pilate and the Flames of Rome, for his historical fiction/context on Biblical events.

I expected a little more from this, but it’s a child’s story book. His goal is to cut through all the fake Christmas stories and tell the basics of what happened. What is a manger? Was it a stable? What year was Jesus born? Maier gets too specific on that last one – do we really know it was 5 B.C. for sure? But this is a great go-to for young ones at Christmas time.

Maier uses a dialogue format, which I’m not sure works the best for a book to read your young ones at the bedside. Maybe. To voice questions they might have already could be good. It just seemed a bit clunky in the writing, maybe.

Some of the stronger points were his handling of the Incarnation, and not really addressing Mary as a virgin (not age appropriate). Instead he focuses on the marriage and family history then in a way that a 3-5 year old can translate to their own family.

[Raegan Fredrickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a dictated conversation between a son and mother about the facts behind Luke 2. The illustrations were beautiful, but I’d rather have an actual conversation with my daughter about Luke 2. Kids want conversations, not facts rattled off to them…

I suppose it’s a good resource if you don’t know where to start with talking to your kids about the reality of the Bible, but I’d recommend reading this book without them to see an example of how to talk to your kids then have your own conversations with them.

Maybe also read Luke 2 and use some of these illustrations for the kids to look at as you read the Bible.

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Children’s Christmas books are often long on fancy and short on fact.” Paul L. Maier says in his forward of this children’s book.
Mr. Maier has told the Christmas story using Luke as his basis. A mother tells an inquisitive boy a “real” story because he doesn’t want fairytales anymore. She does it in a way to get the boy to think about the real circumstances around Christ’s birth.
Very thorough retelling of the true meaning of Christmas.

[Charlotte S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeously illustrated book tells the true story of the first Christmas. It has a lot of detail, and tells more than the usual 'Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem where Mary had the baby Jesus in a stable.' It tells the Christmas story in an engaging way, and is great for all ages. There's a lot more detail in this story, which I love. The cover is so beautiful, and great to display on my bookshelf at Christmas! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for fun book recommendations!

[Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I think you could make a decent drinking game if you drank every time something to the effect of "this all happened" or "this was all true!" was written/ said in the book.

This is also another in a long line of "Mary was with child" that carefully illustrates her so that we can never actually see her pregnant.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good book, but a long read. I read this book aloud to my second graders and I didn't realize how long it was. This is a good book that explains a few more details of the birth of our Savior. The illustrations were also very well done. I would recommend this book to others.

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas story told in a creative way, a mother reading and discussing it with her son, though it is somewhat didactic as another reviewer noted. I like the illustrations though I wonder if kids like the painterly ones as much as adults.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book ... tell the greatest story of all ... in a completely accurate story. For children a bit older, with the ability to think all these things through.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you or your child want to know more about the historical setting for the Christmas story, this is a good choice to read. Written by a Christian ancient historian.

[Sherry Scheline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written board book for early readers.

[Carlos Montijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little sparse on text and doesn’t explain who the wise men were, but nevertheless does a nice job of grounding the Christmas story in the Word and in history.

[Stephanie Thode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations! The book is better for older kids who can ask questions and follow along.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Maier is a professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University and the author of A Skeleton in God's Closet, a historical-theological thriller for adults. This book brings his formidable expertise to bear on the subject of the Nativity, presenting the story's historical validity at a grade school level.

The book opens in a bedtime scene with a mother putting her son to bed in their warm American farmhouse. He informs her that he is too old for fairy tales and wants to hear a "real" story. She opens the Bible and reads him the Christmas story, then answers his rapid-fire questions with historically verifiable supporting details. The boy drifts off to sleep reflecting that "real stories -- especially God's story -- [are:] certainly better than fairy tales."

The parent-child dialogue structure is very common in books of this genre, and while the structure doesn't usually make for great stories, it does make it easy to present lots of information in manageable chunks. Maier does a good job formulating the boy's questions so that you can imagine a precocious young boy actually asking them, and his mother's answers (while occasionally academic) sound like the answers a well-researched parent might give.

If Maier's expertise were less respectable or his writing less skilled, the question-and-answer format might make this book dull and pedantic. However, his research shines through, earning this book the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion Book Award in 1999. This an excellent resource for families who want to teach their children the historical validity of the Nativity story.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck. Just yuck. This third book in the "Very first..." series which has previously covered Easter and Christmas doesn't make any improvement. I much prefer Ben Avery's work on the Twelve Apostles, the Torchlighter DVD on Perpetua, and I hear Simonetta Carr has a book on Irenaeus coming out as well.

The Twelve, Avery, 2014
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Perpetua, Torchlighters DVD, 2009
http://www.torchlighters.org/episodes...

The Very First Easter, Maier, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sarah Poling · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this book only got 2 stars when I purchased it. It's very, very wordy with lots of text.The fictional story is set with a family where the first Christmas is discussed. Real biblical concepts are clearly stated and it is very accurate. It's just not got the originality element or high appeal or engagement factors. But for an advanced reader to read alone, or some families or teachers to read aloud, it could be delivered well.

So I will move it to 3 stars- more neutral and open to the perspective that I don't want to try to read it aloud to my family- they'd zone out. And at our local church, I'm often with littles. but it is for some a very worthwhile tool.

[Monica Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know the historical, political and archaeological background to the first Christmas, this is your book. Jesus probably wasn't born on Dec. 25, 0001, but Caesar Augustus, the census, the shepherds and the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem were real people, places and things, and this book explains it all.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that Jesus was depicted as a small child versus an infant when HE was visited by the Magi. It is accurate.

I did not like the mother's voice very much. She kept referring to her son as "my boy," which quite frankly made her sound like a Dad.

[Steve Hemmeke]

Read everything by Maier

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story that goes more in-depth to explain the background of the characters in the nativity.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiction; Juvenile/Christmas
4 stars

Beautiful storyline and images. Loved this book ☺

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and well done, but definitely for old children (+7) because there is a lot of text on the pages.