Who Built the Stable?: A Nativity Poem

"A child built the stable./ A little shepherd boy/ Apprenticed as a carpenter/ In his father's employ" is Bryan's (All Things Bright and Beautiful) answer to the title's question. Told in rhyming verse, this touching take on the classic nativity story finds the young carpenter seeing himself in the newborn. ("in his heart he knew: / The babe would be a carpenter./ He'd be a shepherd too"). Bryan wields tempera and acrylic in strong strokes to evoke Bethlehem, ("A rich and verdant land") with saturated shades of primary and secondary colors, lively expressions on human and animal faces, and sweeping lines to create the impression of movement. Pleasing to the eye and to the ear. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

PreS-2--Bryan first thought of the titular question while riding through the hills of Africa. He imagined that the bumpy road was similiar to the one that Mary might have traveled on her way to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. This beautifully written poem answers the question by stating that "A child built the stable./A little shepherd boy/Apprenticed as a carpenter/In his father's employ." When Mary and Joseph are turned away from other places, the little shepherd offers to shelter them. The prose is matched perfectly with Bryan's vibrant tempera and acrylic illustrations. The shepherd boy, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are depicted with warm brown skin tones set against a rainbow of colors. Each spread has a border to highlight the resplendent artwork and text at the bottom of each page. The entire poem is reprinted on the last spread. A welcome addition for all collections.--Diane Olivo-Posner, Los Angeles Public Library