Nativity [Hardcover]

In the spirit of her acclaimedDog HeavenandCat Heaven, Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant illustrates the nativity story in her powerful folk art style.

Cynthia Rylant takes the beloved text of the nativity story, as told in the King James Bible, and lovingly illustrates it in her simple but bold style that has been called “stunning” bySchool Library Journal. As she did with the creation story, Rylant has created a sublime take on a classic story that will appeal to readers of all ages.Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Visit her at CynthiaRylant.com.Newbery Medalist Rylant offers a succinct, graceful account of the birth of Jesus and some of his most famous words as an adult preaching to others. The cover shows three shepherds and one sheep, and the story actually begins on the cover flap with an extension of the cover illustration and just three words, "A child is born." The simple text is adapted from the books of Matthew and Luke from the King James Bible, retaining the traditional flavor and old-fashioned textual cadences. The angels visit the shepherds, and the shepherds visit Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in the stable, but the Wise Men are not included in this interpretation. The story shifts to Jesus as a grown man, preaching the Sermon on the Mount "before a great multitude of people." Four of the Beatitudes are recounted, concluding with a simple house decorated for Christmas and two sheep next to a snow-covered evergreen tree. Rylant's understated illustrations in her refreshing, naïve style sometimes look like finger paintings and often portray just a suggestion of words from the text. The backgrounds of the double-page spreads are in bold, deep colƒ½