I was sent an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from New Growth Press in exchange for my honest review.

This simple, gentle retelling of Luke chapter two will help little readers memorize a familiar verse.

The Best News of All written by Sally Michael and illustrated by Sengsavane Chounramany is a sweet Christmas picture book designed to help preschoolers learn Luke 2:10b-11 (ESV): “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This book, part of the Bible Verses to Remember series, will inspire families to start a new reading tradition during the Advent season. This thoughtful, wonder-filled book would make a lovely gift for kids ages 4-7.

Christian children’s writers will appreciate Michael’s love and understanding for her audience. As a children’s writer and church volunteer, I know how hard it is to teach and write for this age group. Preschoolers are full of wonder about God’s Word and are eager to learn it. However, they don’t yet grasp the abstract concepts of Scripture. They aren’t yet ready for spiritual meat, so we need to nourish them with spiritual milk. We give them the ABCs of the Bible, telling them who God is, why He made us, and how He loves us.

Michael’s writing style is playful and imaginative. She uses imagery to help children understand how the shepherds felt when the first angel appeared (what if, instead of seeing stars in the night sky, you saw something surprising – like an elephant?) The illustrations complement the beauty of the angel’s announcement, full of light and awestruck shepherds. My favorite spread was a picture of grown-ups and children across the Earth, depicting how this “good news of great joy” was for everyone: “little children and old grandmas, busy farmers and brave firefighters, rich people and poor people, people who live near you and people in faraway places.” Michael does an excellent job at making the abstract concrete for little readers. For parents who want to learn more about teaching their children the Word, she includes discussion questions, advice, and resources in the back of the book.

Some readers may be unfamiliar with the ESV translation of Luke 2. Growing up, my grandfather always read the Christmas story out of the KJV. I thought I knew Luke 2 by heart, so I was a little confused when I read “Glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (my emphasis) rather than “peace, good will toward men.” I checked the ESV and found a note that mentioned some translations use “peace, good will among men” instead of “among those with whom he is pleased”. Intriguing! I could write a whole other blog breaking down this verse, but I digress. I mention this for those like me who are reading a particular Bible translation and want their child to memorize that version. The ESV translation does not take away from the meaning of the verse, nor is it incorrect. Learning other translations just allows us to dive into Scripture to learn more!

Overall, this picture book is a beautiful resource for parents who want to train their children’s hearts. I give it a 5/5 sheep in the shepherd’s field (baa!)

You can preorder The Best News of All on New Growth Press’s site or on Amazon. You can find my other reviews here. Want to learn more about writing from a Christian perspective? Check out my essay here.

Happy writing, writers! 🙂