Author: Leona Novy Jackson

Illustrated by Kelly Dupre

ISBN: 13:9780930643188

I love a story that uses just the right words and only those words. Leona Jackson tells the Christmas story using few words, but they are the right words.

A mother cat searches everywhere for her lost kitten. She finally finds the missing kitten in a manger of hay. The mother is anxious to get her kitten safely home because strangers are in the stable. Just minutes after she rescues her lost kitten from the manager, a human mother lays her newborn infant in the same manger. All the animals sense that this human baby is special. To this day, cats tell the story of how the baby Jesus slept in the same manager as a little lost kitten.

The nativity is actually the background to the mother cat’s search, but every mother will recognize Mary’s side of the story in the mother cat, and then in herself. It’s the mother’s side of the special night.

Any child, even an older child will appreciate the story. Smaller children and parents will appreciate that the story moves quickly, just as a picture book should. Every word supports the story, and just this story, which parallels a mother cat’s love for her lost kitten with the story of the birth of the Christ child.

Kelly Dupre does a good job of supporting the story with her unique illustrations. They’re elegant, precise, and support the story without upstaging it. I especially enjoy their playful simplicity.

I'd like to give a special thank you to the author and publisher for the explanations of Christmas symbols at the end of the book. These short paragraphs explain Christmas traditions and symbols, such as decorated trees, holly, and candy canes. It’s a welcomed bonus. Everyone, even children, should know the history behind these traditions.

The book itself is of good quality. The text is large and clear, and the pictures are crisp. I can recommend it to anyone wanting to share the Christmas story in a simple and untraditional way. All children, especially the younger ones, will understand and enjoy this non-traditional version of the Christmas story.

The above review was contributed by:  Susan Sales Harkins:  Software consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. She and her husband, William, collaborate on children's non-fiction.