Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A desire to serve shines across Armstrong's version of a favorite European folktale about how the robin got its red breast. Alerted by Raven about the news of the Christ child's birth, various birds wing across the nighttime sky above a frosty, sleepy Bethlehem to the stable where the infant, portrayed with light brown skin, has been born. Inside, a small, quiet bird hangs back as Nightingale offers the infant a lullaby and Stork plucks its own feathers to create a fluffy pillow. But when the stable's warming fire begins to dwindle, and mother and newborn shiver, the little bird flaps its wings to fan the flames, catching a glowing ember on its chest that creates "a bright badge of radiant red." Crisply textured feathers, cross-hatched backgrounds, and whimsical landscapes distinguish Miroslavova's stylized images, rendered in graphite pencil and saturated digital color, making this "Little Drummer Boy"--flavored story especially inviting. Ages 4--8. (Aug.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
One cold night, Raven receives a celestial command: inform his fellow birds that "a child has been born...the Prince of Peace." All flock to the stable with gifts: a lullaby from Nightingale, a feather pillow from Stork, etc. One small bird (a robin) thinks she has nothing to give -- until the fire keeping Mary and child warm dwindles. She fans the embers and fetches twigs until the flames burn bright again. When an ember lands on the robin's breast, turning it a radiant red, Mary tells her that it's "a sign of your kind heart. From today on, you and all your children will wear this color proudly." This pourquoi tale, beautifully illustrated in graphite pencil and colored digitally, alternates expansive double-page spreads with single pages and spot art, adding intimacy and focus. Martha V. ParravanoNovember/December 2025 p.10 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Nativity tale that explores the origins of the robin's red breast. Raven flies over the city of Bethlehem on a cold, dark night. Suddenly, a dazzling light appears in the sky, and a powerful voice commands Raven to spread the news to the other birds--a special child has been born. Raven does so, and the others plan their gifts for the child. Wren weaves a soft blanket of leaves and moss, while Nightingale practices a sweet lullaby. As birds from all over gather at the stable where the newborn rests, one small bird laments that she has nothing to give. When a particularly icy wind sweeps into the stable, making the baby shiver, the small bird immediately fans the dying fire's flames with her wings and brings kindling to warm the baby and his mother, Mary. A stray ember lands on the bird, and a patch of red spreads across her chest. The brilliant color is evidence of the creature's kind heart, Mary proclaims, and it shall be worn proudly by the bird and her descendants. The title page notes that Armstrong's story is "based on a European folktale," though it contains no backmatter on the tale's origins. Regardless, it features evocative descriptions, accompanied by Miroslavova's eye-catching, pencil-drawn, digitally colored illustrations in a palette of predominantly purplish blues and reddish browns. Thoughtful layouts contribute to the visual elegance. The baby and Mary are both brown-skinned. A gracefully told Christmas story.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
