The First Christmas Night - Children's book and GIVEAWAY

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    For some of you, this may not apply...but since my family and I are followers of Jesus Christ, we have tried to make a thoughtful effort every December to bring more of Christ into our Christmas and less of the self-centered "give me, give me!" type of attitude.  We've downplayed Santa and other secular versions of Christmas that can take over the true meaning of Christmas.

    If you enjoy the rhythm of the poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moor, then I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at the similar rhythm of this new illustrated book, The First Christmas Night!

    (Email subscribers may want to click back to the original post in order to most easily view the photos and enter the giveaway contest.)

About The First Christmas Night

    The First Christmas Night is a beautiful retelling of the birth of Jesus on that joyous night in Bethlehem so long ago. The poem begins with the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and winds though Christ’s birth, the angels’ appearance to the shepherds, and the visit by the Wise Men.  The simple, yet elegant, verses will appeal to little ones and are accompanied by the rich acrylic illustrations of Christine Kornacki. 

    Here's a sample of the poetry found between the covers of The First Christmas Night:

’Twas the very first Christmas when all through the town

not a creature was stirring—there was not a sound.

The moon shining bright in the heavens so high

gave the look of midday to the Bethlehem sky.

The animals were nestled in warm, cozy places

with looks of contentment on each of their faces.

Julieanne's review of The First Christmas Night:

    What a gorgeous book!  Each two-page spread is designed to be a feast for the eyes.  Such glorious color and artwork.  As well, having the biblical "first Christmas" being retold in a poetic rhythm was just pleasing to the senses.  This book will draw in both children and adults.  We loved it!

About the author:

Keith Christopher is an award-winning composer, arranger, lyricist, and author, and his musical talent is evident in the lyrical verses of The First Christmas Night.  In addition to writing and producing, Keith is on the faculty at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.  He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife and two children.

About the illustrator:

At a very early age, Christine Kornacki developed a love for painting and bringing stories to life. After receiving a BFA in illustration from the University of Hartford, her dreams of illustrating children's books began to take shape, including illustrating the best-selling The Sparkle Box for Ideal's Children's Books. Christine's recent work also includes illustrating the six-book series for the American Girl historical doll characters Marie-Grace and Cecile.  She spends her days painting in her studio, which adjoins a charming cafe in New Haven, Connecticut.

More info. about The First Christmas Night:

Who is it for?

• Kids ages 4-8 - The rhyming language can help them develop verbal language skills and learn to read
• Family story time during the holidays
• Children's Ministers and Sunday school teachers
• Christmas carolers could set it to a tune!

Now, for the GIVEAWAY of The First Christmas Night:

    To enter this giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter widget below. 

    The First Christmas Night children's picture book giveaway ends on Monday, December 9th, 2013 at midnight Pacific time...

    ...and please read the requirements for entering, below, because if you're the winner, and you said you completed a step, but didn't, I'll be checking up on you!  ☺    U.S. entries only, please.  Thanks!

Entrants must be 18 years or older; only U.S. residents are eligible to enter this giveaway.

I will select the winner of this prize using Random.org (via this Rafflecopter entry form, below).

I will be verifying the winning entrant's giveaway entry options to make sure they are valid.  In the past several months, multiple potential winners were excluded from winning even though their names had been selected randomly as winners, because they said that they had signed up for email subscriptions but had not completed the process, which includes clicking on an email you will receive to confirm your subscription.  An email subscription to Joy In Our Journey.com is not a requirement to enter our giveaways, but if you do use an email subscription option to enter to win, please make sure that you click on the confirmation email that you will receive.  That will validate your entry.  Thank you!   :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

    I received a copy of this book for review purposes, but was not compensated financially in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based solely on my experiences in reading this book.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

    In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support!

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