The Stable Where Jesus Was Born by Rhonda Gowler Green

 The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

The Stable Where Jesus Was Born was written by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by Susan Gaber. The book is a scholastic book first published in 1999.

Greene begins her story by showing the reader an illustration of a stable, one you might image is like the one where Jesus was born. She introduces the reader to a cow, a cat and her kittens, and three mice who live in the stable.

I thought the mention of the cat, kittens and mice was a nice twist to this well known story. We usually imagine animals like cows and maybe even horses, but we don’t usually think of cats and kittens in the stable where Jesus was born.  Since many children are probably more familiar with cats and kittens than livestock, this imagery helps them better relate to the story.

Greene introduces the reader to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Then, she tells the story of shepherds who came to visit the Baby Jesus and of an angel who told of His birth. Greene informs the reader that Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem which was a very full and busy city that night.

Greene tells the reader that God chose the baby for a special purpose.

Greene mentions “sweet-smelling hay” throughout the story. The mention of familiar animals and her description of the smell of hay helps children create a more vivid picture of the scene in their own creative little minds.

Greene uses rhyming words to help the story flow smoothly. Rhyming words also help young readers read more fluently.

The Stable Where Jesus Was Born is a good book for children to enjoy during the Christmas season.

To enhance the reading experience, plan a few activities for children to do after story time. Instruct the children to draw or paint a picture of what they think the stable looked like on the night Jesus was born.

Allow the children to make Christmas ornaments after reading The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

If several children are present, allow them to act out the story. You can even have one child tell the story while other children act it out. This can be amusing and role play helps children remember the events in the story.

Most of all, have fun reading and learning about Baby Jesus.

Get your copy of The Stable Where Jesus Was Born here!

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