The Feathered Crown

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book for kids
Review: As an avid reader of picture books, I knew by the title alone I would love this book, and author Marsha Hayles Scheiber doesn't disappoint. The first page makes you want to turn the page: The mother birds/like gentle words/took flight one wintry day... Her words are so soft and soothing and lyrical, this not only makes a great Christmas gift, but also a lullaby of a bedtime story. After a long flight, the birds reach "At last warm land, a sea of sand..." where a baby who will change the world is about to be born, Jesus. The mother birds build the child a soft nest, hence "the feathered crown." I get chills when I read this book. The illustrations by Bernadette Pons are a perfect match for the text: soft, soothing, child-friendly. This is one of my favorite books, a gem of a book.

Rating:
Summary: My Heart Took Flight!
Review: By giving us a bird's eye-view, THE FEATHERED CROWN takes a unique and touching look at the Nativity story. Hayles gentle, alliterative rhyme soars, as each stanza rises in meter. Pons soft watercolors compliment the text and are restful to the eye. Lines like, "They gathered bits/ of straw and sticks,/ and leaves to cushion best--/To build a home,/a manger throne,/a feather-softened nest." depict how loving mother birds may have helped another mother long ago in Bethleham. A bright addition to every Holiday collection!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Christmas Book
Review: I think Feathered Crown is a wondeful children's book. It is a lovely story, and the words flow so well. "The mother birds, like gentle words, took wing one wintry day." These gentle words are then further complemented by beautiful pictures. Feathered Crown is one of my family's favorite Christmas books.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely beautiful!
Review: This is the most beautiful Christmas picture book that I've seen in a long time. The soft and meaningful words flow across the pages like ribbons of silk - and are delicious to read out loud. It's good to see a Christmas book that touchs on the true meaning of the holyday.