‘Twas the Evening of Christmas

Those of us who work with children in the church are always looking for ways to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas. Often, the message children receive from TV and other media is focused on material gifts and Santa Claus. If we want our children to grow up as caring, giving individuals, we need to share with them the story of the baby who came to earth to show the world how to love.

Telling the story of Jesus’ humble birth can be done in many ways; one way is by reading some of the beautiful Christmas storybooks that are out there. This year, there is a new addition to the collection for families and those in children’s ministry, and it’s a winner. ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas, as you might guess from the title, tells the story of the birth of Jesus using the familiar rhythms and phrasing of Clement C. Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. I can envision a family on Christmas Eve reading Moore’s poem and following that with a reading of ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas.

The book is written by Glenys Nellist who skillfully brings the story of that famous night to life with verses such as these:

The pigeons were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of breadcrumbs danced round in their heads,
The cows closed their eyes, and the oxen laid down;
The doves cooed so gently; the lambs made no sound.

The illustrations by Elena Selivanova are captivating, filled with plenty of the animals which kids love, as well as characters with various facial expressions to help children identify the feelings that Mary, Joseph, and others experienced on the evening of the first Christmas.