The first thing about this book which attracted me was the cover. The second - Christmas theme.
The book contains six short Christmas stories centering around a different Nativity. I enjoyed reading the first story, Ollie. Its plot was interesting and rather unexpected, the story filled the air around me with warmth and hope. So, after reading this great story I was kind of expecting all book to be as inspiring... Unfortunately, it wasn't. Nativity Seen Smiling and Over My Dead Body were quite okay because of their endings, but I didn't find other stories entertaining.
In addition, this book is made as a gift book. It is full of pictures, photos to be exact. Well, I do like when the book is illustrated, but this time I wanted the photos to be more inspiring.
All in all, this book wasn't as pleasing as I expected it to be (maybe it would have been for more religious person) and I didn't like all the stories, not to mention the illustrations. I would recommend to read only the story Ollie (especially if you are searching for something that would be interesting for children, too), not all book. ( )

This review first appeared on my blog: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/11/nativity-collection-holiday-gift-guide.ht...

This is a wonderful book. Gorgeously bound with thick pages and lavish illustrations and photographs, it is perfect as a gift AND to buy for yourself and keep year after year. You could even make a Christmas tradition of reading one story a night together in the week leading up to Christmas (that's what I'm going to do).
As with any collection of stories, there are some that you will LOVE and some that are just pretty good, but they all share one thing: a nativity plays a part in each story, and they are all full of quiet miracles.

My ratings per story:

Ollie: 5 out of 5 stars
Poet Boy: 4 out of 5 stars
Over My Dead Body: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Five Quarters of a Mile: 4 out of 5 stars
Nativity Seen Smiling: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Sugarplum and the Christmas Cradle: 4 out of 5 stars

QUOTES:

Ollie

Well, this was turning into an exciting Christmas for me - a stolen car, an imprisoned family, a crazy old woman, and all our Christmas presents hanging in the balance. It was an adventure!

Poet Boy:
Since no one could figure out how to keep the curtain from rising for Act 2, the players got into position.
Over My Dead Body:

It was a creche only a heartbeat away from life itself, and all who saw it knew that it was Max Schroeder's masterpiece.

Five-Quarters of a Mile:

But something was wrong, and Zeek felt winter in his bones. Two days ago, he'd had a spell while shoveling snow from the path that led past the woodpile and on to the outhouse. That pathway was crucial.

Nativity Seen Smiling:

The unhappy couple had snapped at each other endlessly, taken their meals in silence, and thwarted all efforts at honeymoon bliss.

Sugarplum and the Christmas Cradle:

Finally he'd gotten to the S's, and that's when he'd found Sugarplum, and now she was Sugarplum morning, noon, and night. Truth be told, it was getting a little sickening, even to Sugarplum, who felt she was being sugar pummeled to death.

Book Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

(I received a copy of this title from the publisher to facilitate my review) ( )