Review
Title: My Nativity Friends
Author: Written and Illustrated by Alexis Merrill
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Children’s Christmas
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 30
Binding: Hardbound
ISBN: 13978 1629728018
Price: 14.99
Reviewed by Heather Harris Bergevin for the Association of Mormon Letters
My Nativity Friends is a delightful little picture book for the youngest children that is wonderful in a myriad of small, inclusive ways. It’s relatively small, about 7×7, sized to bring to church (This matters. I have had toddlers; I know the sheer volume of things in the church bag). It’s hardbound, but with a softly padded cover, that little people will enjoy. The illustrations are beautiful and simple, as soft characters on a felt board. All of this makes the book more enjoyable to the smallest of readers, who will want to look at the pictures again and again as they learn about Christ’s birth. Included are Isaiah, and Samuel, as well as all those named in Luke making preparations for Christ’s birth, including Simeon and Anna.
The language of the different characters presented is straightforward and brief but does not skimp on the important portions of the story involved. This is remarkably difficult to do in a Christmas children’s book. What struck me, reading it, was how plainly and clearly each person was presented, in order of appearance in the Nativity story.
I could see My Nativity Friends being used in a family with small children as their nativity play. My family does a nativity each year. This means we keep adding sheep and various characters as we go, of course, as the numbers of grandchildren expand. Many LDS families do the same, with extended family from far and wide. But, especially during Pandemic, our Christmases this year, as a church and nation, are going to be more at home in small groups. This means many families with little children will be determining their own holiday traditions, some for the very first time.
I could see this book as being especially useful to families who have preschool-aged children (or, in my case, when my children were hyperactively having FHE while lying upside down on the couch) in doing their nativity plays. It can be presented thoroughly enough for those who want older children to remember individuals in the Nativity, but also simply enough to be a quick read and possible to use for FHE or nativity on Christmas Eve.
Now, to my favorite part of the book, which is presented so logically and well that I almost missed it. There are no Caucasian characters, save one on the last page. In so many circles, we complain about depictions of “white Jesus,” knowing that those visuals matter greatly to raising children who are not numb to supremacy values. Likewise, representation matters immensely.
That each of the scrapbook style sweet figures of Christian Nativity are depicted accurately should not be a surprise! But it is, and a wonderful one. Accuracy matters and this book could become a beautiful series that continues in that vein. It matters to not see Mary and Joseph, or the Christ child, as pale and peachy felt characters. I’m beyond delighted to see it mattering to Deseret as well. We are working towards a greater understanding of throwing away those things which are “traditions” (thanks to the Medici family in the Renaissance, who visualized themselves as pale, sacred figures) and instead teaching our children true religion. I love this and wish that I had had this book when I was raising small children. It genuinely matters to see even wingless angels depicted with darker skin, even with lighter hair.
I would love to see Deseret Book continue with this author’s ideas as a series. If I was in their advertising department, I would make it possible to purchase the depicted figures as printed felt characters, a small nativity to have in hand. Barring that, I’d love to see the website offer the images as a printable to use along with the book in teaching Primary ages (innumerable popsicle stick characters have been used by this mama). I would love to see other, factually based characters done in this simple “felt friend” style, with the lovely balance of scriptural figures.
Have a lovely season of Christmas and all of the happiest holidays. I hope you incorporate this lovely book into your youngest’s, or your friend’s youngest’s, treats this year.