A lovely, serious picture book about the birth of Jesus and the visits by the three wise men and shepherds. Along the way, the book includes vignettes that tell what the historical context may have been. This is a good book for older Christian readers who want to learn more about biblical history.

The Wonders of the First Christmas
by Andy McGuire

The Wonders of the First Christmas was a delightful Christmas story. I especially liked the emphasis on all the actions being part of "God's plan". The illustrations were eye-catching and very life-like. They added to the warmth to the story. The text was well researched, and flowed nicely. It hit all of the important points, and it is Bible based.

The side-bar information, which was located on almost every page, was extremely informative and makes for great conversations. The book can be read without them, however, so that the storyline isn't interrupted and it flows better. The reader has the option of reading the story with or without the side-bars.

I'm sure this book will become a yearly tradition in my household. I can imagine reading it to my grandchildren amongst mugs of hot chocolate and sweet Christmas cookies . . .

This an exquisite book with a delightful retelling of the Nativity story, accompanied with beautiful pictures. For the younger children, the story is straight-forward and endearing. For older children, the accompanying explanations add another dimension to the familiar tale. This would be a wonderful addition to any library.

I love when stories are presented with fun facts as well, my kids always enjoy learning that way. I liked the focus on God’s plan always being fulfilled. I also appreciated that this Nativity story was not white-washed in the illustrations.

The Wonders of the First Christmas was the sweetest book. The illustrations were beautiful and I loved the historical context given for the events surrounding Jesus' birth. This would be a great book for Christmas or anytime of year to spark a conversation about the gift of Jesus.

What a beautiful book that tells the true story of Jesus’ birth with information from the Bible. The illustrations are gorgeous . The extra added information at the bottom of pages is insightful and historical. Absolutely a beautiful and well written book.!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

I thought this was a wonderful book! The artwork is beautiful and was wonderfully rendered. The artwork makes this story even more special. This is a lovely book and a great addition to the telling of the nativity. It's written in a way that children can understand it and in a more modern way of telling the story.I appreciated the side notes explaining certain aspects of the passages on the page. This helps clarify things, as our modern view can be very different from that time period. I definitely recommend it!

What an incredible book. The illustrations are great and the story is so good. I love the story of Jesus being born and in this book I love how there are side note descriptions continually through the book. I highly recommend it!!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I will be purchasing it for me and my church.

Review of eBook

The Christmas story told with a combination of gorgeous, full-page illustrations, the Gospel text, and historical, biological, and geographic about Israel at the time of the birth of Jesus.

The target audience for this amazing, full-color book is the young reader, ages four through eight, but readers of all ages are certain to appreciate the added facts about Israel at the time of Jesus’s birth and relevant gospel texts. These all work together to strengthen the reader’s understanding of the Christmas story within the context of the world at that time. An exquisite book with an inspiring story sure to strengthen the reader’s faith.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Zonderkidz and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#TheWondersoftheFirstChristmas #NetGalley

The Wonders of the First Christmas by Andy McGuire is a children's book that talks about the birth of Christ and also give some historical information about what some of the references actually meant. It explains a little about the Wise Men, shepherds, and even the manger. This book is a "picture book" that is great for young children, but it also is nice reading for adults and children of all ages. Thank you NetGalley.com.

“The Wonders of the First Christmas”
(Explore the Birth of Jesus through History, Archaeology, and Art) by Andy McGuire
A Very Good 1st Christmas Book
The story is well done as is the art work. The ‘Fact Blocks’ are, for me, what sets this book apart from the others. I would enjoy reading this book with little ones and hear their questions and exclamations, too! Happy Reading ! !

Thank you ZonderKidz for allowing me to read and review The Wonders of the First Christmas (Explore the Birth of Jesus through History, Archaeology, and Art) by Andy McGuire on NetGalley.

Published: 10/07/25

Stars: 4

McGuire traditionally tells the birth of Jesus with muted colored illustrations respectfully done. In addition, he gives explanations and definitions of terms that relate to the times.

The formatting caught my attention. There is the story itself, and throughout the pages are information boxes. I liked the setup.

Giftable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zonderkidz for an advanced reading copy of this book. It will be released to publishers on October 7, 2025.

The wonders of the first Christmas is great for upper elementary students who want to find out more about the first Christmas, from a biblical standpoint to a historical standpoint.

A great buy for parents and church leaders!

this is a retelling of the nativity story, lovely book, enjoyed the illustrations and the story. would highly recommend

These illustrations were GORGEOUS. My 3 year old boy loved learning about the birth of our Savior. He wasn't old enough to appreciate some of the facts but he liked to point out things in the pictures and asked a lot of questions.

The Wonders of the First Christmas by Andy McGuire is a children’s book coming out in October this year. I was struck by the historical accuracy and the definitions of customs of the times. Between the explanation of Roman rulers and gifts from the wise men and even how much a camel can drink, I found this book quite refreshing and interesting, as I’m sure so many children will as well. I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

This lovely telling of the Christmas story is aimed at children, probably in the 4-10 year range, but its quiet approach will appeal to all ages. The illustrations have a simple style that matches the bits of historical context that are included to pique a child's interest without overwhelming them. There is a confidence in God as a loving being, yet without religiosity.

More than just your basic retelling of the Nativity story, this book provides small snippets throughout the book that are educational and explain the story from the timeframe of Jesus. Explanations include the work/trade of a carpenter, the design of a manager, commons type of sheep in Israel, etc. The book also highlights many concepts/ideas that are included in the Nativity story but aren't specifically mentioned in the Bible but could be plausible for this time (Mary riding a donkey, Wise Men riding camels, etc.)

This is a great book for sharing the Nativity/First Christmas story and teaching children more details and the history at the time of of Jesus' birth.

Beautifully done pictures. I loved how the animals looked almost realistic throughout the book. Well told beloved story. Will definitely recommend.

Sweetly illustrated, with text that will grow with your child, this classic story is told in a way that parents and little ones alike will enjoy. A great one to keep in your library.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the sweetest book. I absolutely love the illustrations, they are beautiful. And I love the facts on each page and I learned things I previously wasn’t aware of, like the fact animals were kept in the lower level of the home so their heat rose to the humans room above. Altogether it is a beautiful book with a Biblically accurate story of the birth of Jesus with a lot of additional history and anthropology added in. I loved it and will recommend it!

I loved the way this book has a dual appeal. There is a storyline for younger readers and below, a storyline for older readers. As your reader grows, they can start to read one part to themselves as you read the other to them as they get older. The book also gives opportunities for older siblings or cousins to read aloud and show the beautiful pictures to their younglings.

I see this book as a fine investment for families and even schools. It's a wonderful way to teach the story of the Birth of Jesus.

Thank you to the author, Andy McGuire, NetGalley and ZonderKidz for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.