Wow! We haven’t had a Perfect Picture Book Friday in a while, due to Halloweensie.
(In case you’re wondering, all evidence to the contrary, the Halloweensie judging is well underway and we are close to posting the finalists. With a little luck, I’ll get them up before it’s time to post the guidelines for the Holiday Contest, but the way things have been going in my world lately, it’s anyone’s bet! 😊)
Anyway, anyone who has been posting Perfect Picture Books regularly and has books to add, please feel free to put them on today’s list!
I have a lovely book to share with you today, just in time for you all to run out and purchase one as a holiday (or pre-holiday) gift for any wee folks you know 😊
OR, leave a comment on today’s post between now and Thursday, November 24 (hey! that’s Thanksgiving – easy to remember! 😊) and you could be the lucky winner of a copy of this sweet book! (US residents only)
GIVEAWAY WINNER DRAWN NOVEMBER 25 – PAT TILTON!!!
Title: Happy Birthday, Christmas Child!: A Counting Nativity Book (Board Book)
Written By: Laura Sassi
Illustrated By: Gabi Murphy
Publisher: Paraclete Press, October 2022
Suitable For Ages: 1-4
Themes/Topics: Christmas Story, counting
Opening:
“One stable on a busy hill
with only ox and donkey ’til…
Tap, tap. “Hello?” Two heads appear.
“The inn is full. Can we stay here?”
“Yes, of course!” squeak three small mice.
“It’s rustic, but the view is nice.”
Brief Synopsis: This is the Christmas Story, told simply in lovely rhyme, with plenty of things for youngest readers to count.
Links To Resources: Today we have a wonderful activity straight from the creative author herself!
Play a HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD Matching Sticker Game
by Laura Sassi
After enjoying the book, little ones might be ready for this book-themed matching game from the free downloadable “Happy Birthday, Christmas Child” activity kit. The sticker templates for the game are found on page six. NOTE: You might also enjoy the other resources there, including cupcake toppers, coloring pages, number sheets and a complete party plan!
Directions: (photos above and below)
Why I Like This Book: You have probably guessed (since this is at least the 3rd or 4th… or maybe 5th? book of Laura’s that I’ve reviewed for PPBF 😊) that I am a devoted Laura Sassi fan. This newest book is no exception! It tells the Christmas Story in a way that is accessible and appealing to youngest readers. The story takes us to the stable where Mary and Joseph are welcomed by the animals and eat a simple meal of bread and figs. The baby kicks and moves, reminding everyone that it will soon be born. The joyous angels proclaim the birth and send the shepherds hurrying to greet the newborn babe. Simply told in lovely rhyme, the whole story is presented in a way that is true to the bible’s telling but written for youngest readers to enjoy, with things to count on every page along the way – from 1 stable to 10 tiny toes. 😊
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
Author Laura Sassi
Visit her website!
Laura Sassi has a passion for telling stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of multiple books for young children including the best-selling Goodnight, Ark (Zonderkidz), which was a 2015 Christian Book Award Finalist; Goodnight, Manger (Zonderkidz); Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse (Union Square Publishing), which was a 2021-2022 Iowa Goldfinch Award Nominee; Love Is Kind (Zonderkidz), which was a 2020 Anna Dewdney Read Together Award Honor Book; Little Ewe: The Story of One Lost Sheep (Beaming Books), Bunny Finds Easter (Zonderkidz), Happy Birthday, Christmas Child (Paraclete Press), her new counting board book, and coming in 2023, from Paraclete Press, My Tender Heart Bible and My Tender Heart Prayer Book.
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Adorable pictures and sweet rhyming text. I look forward to reading this. Congratulations, Laura!
Like all of Laura’s books, it is sweet and full of warmth and comfort – so appealing for little ones! I hope you get to read it, Kim!
I’m sure my granddaughters would love this book, and especially if Grandma was reading it to them! (Laura Sassi is fantastic! I attended a virtual master class she taught on writing picture books and got some new ideas for my own writing!)
She is wonderful, isn’t she, Brenda? I love her blog as well as all her books! She is a lovely person and writes such sweet books for children!
What an adorably sweet story. And such a great way to integrate counting.
It really is sweet, Maria! And yes – the counting is a clever addition to the story. Something I don’t think I would have thought of in the context of the Christmas Story, but such a great idea!
This looks so sweet! What a lovely book for little ones!
This is just adorable. Perfect for my newborn twin great great nephews! Thank you for featuring it! Congratulations, Laura!
The birth of Jesus is one of my favorite stories to hear over and over. The illustrations are adorable and I can’t wait to read this book. Congratulations, Laura!
I am with you! I adore Laura Sassi’s board books. They are spot on for the age group. Colorful and engaging. My great granddaughter, 3, loved Bunny Finds Easter!
This looks so sweet! And an inspired idea to pair rhyming and counting with the Christmas story. Congrats to Laura!
So sweet…a perfect gift for the littles.
Thanks for telling the Christmas story for our littlest ones. I’m sure they will enjoy it.
This looks like a really sweet and original telling of the Christmas story. Thanks for telling me about it.
What a sweet book… and I love the way she works in counting.
Congratulations, Laura. The illustrations are fantastic, and it’s a sweet story children will understand and appreciate.
This is such a beautiful book and it sounds wonderful. Would be great for little ones. I love what I’ve seen of it so far.
The rhyme, the counting, and the sweet pictures are a perfect combination. Little ones will love it! Congrats, Laura.
A sweet, sweet, story for a special time of year!
Congratulations, Laura! I love a sweet Christmas story, so I am looking forward to reading this one to my little ones.