M Is for Manger

“Mary gently wrapped her son, then rested in the shed. She placed the newborn Savior in a MANGER for his bed,” Crystal Bowman and Terry McKinley write in their children’s book, M is for Manger. ~ What ~ This sixty-four-page hardbound targets children ages four to eight years old who enjoy alphabet stories correlated to Jesus’s birth in the Bible. With no scary scenes, the illustrations show the angel telling Mary she is with child through Christ’s birth and Anna seeing her Savior in the Temple in alphabetical order. The NLT, NIrV, ICB, and GW versions of the Holy Bible are referenced. The book has a large letter on the left side of each page with a four-line rhyme on the right side, capitalizing all letters in the word that matches the corresponding letter. A written out Bible verse is italicized below the poem. ~ Why ~ I like how the book that concentrates on Christmas using rhymes that are simple and effective. They rudimentary explain topics such as Joseph dreaming, Mary visiting Elizabeth, Jesus being holy, the inn in Bethlehem, peace on earth, shepherds seeing the King, and the wise men journeying from afar. ~ Why Not ~ I could not find anything negative about the book except maybe the circle pictures on the pages with the wording are small. The most detailed designs are incorporated into the alphabet pages. ~ Who ~ Author Bowman has written over eighty children’s books. She lives in Florida with her husband. Author McKinley has coauthored several books; she and her husband live in Texas. Illustrator Keay lives in the United Kingdom with her two children and loves drawing pictures for children. ~ Wish ~ I wish pronouns of God were capitalized for reverence, but this issue did not affect ratings as it is something I always recommend if missing. ~ Want ~ If you are looking for a clever book that has the alphabet with the chronological story of Jesus’s birth, this is a keeper. Thanks to the Tyndale House Publishing for offering this book to read and review for my honest opinion.