Heavenly Peace: Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones

THE SKIES SHOUTED IT TO THE SEAS...THAT ROARED TO THE GREAT WHITE WHALES THAT SANG TO THE STARFISH IN THE DEEP.

AND TINY SANDPIPERS DANCED ON THE SHINING SANDS.

"IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME!

Most Nativity stories concentrate on the human and supernatural elements of the story--the innkeepers, Joseph and Mary, the three kings from the east, the shepherds and the angels. Sally Lloyd-Jones' and Allison Jay's new Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story (Zonderkidz, 2011) lets "heaven and nature sing"--and even dance first, feeling the fullness of time before the waiting humans know what is happening.

Telling the story of the Nativity from the point of view of the natural order--plants and animals around the world--is a bit of a change from the usual focus upon the baby in the stable, but in Lloyd-Jones' prose and Jay's beautiful folk art-like illustrations, the story broadens to take in what the author says as she opens the story:

THE WORLD WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE FOREVER. AND IT ALMOST WENT
UNNOTICED.

BUT THE LEAVES THAT NIGHT RUSTLED WITH A RUMOR. NEWS RANG OUTACROSS THE OPEN FIELDS.

A SONG DRIFTED OVER THE HILLS.

Young listeners and readers will feel the import of this event whether or not they grasp the theology behind the presentation in this lovely picture book, which just perhaps may be one of the choosen Nativity stories of this season. A preview of the book may be seen here.