This Is the Stable

A gorgeous, poetic new version of the Nativity story

Wondrous things are happening in this humble little stable. The animals are gathering round. Shepherds and wise men and angels are coming from afar. All of them are flocking to see the Christ child, born this night in Bethlehem.

Illustrated by artist Delana Bettoli in the gorgeous tropical hues of the region and told in lyrical verses perfect for reading aloud, Cynthia Cotten's This Is a Stable is a retelling of the Nativity that will be treasured for many a Christmas to come.

Cynthia Cotten has written several books for young readers, including Abbie in Stitches, At the Edge of the Woods and Snow Ponies. She grew up in Lockport, New York, a small town on the Erie Canal. She didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer--she dreamed of being a teacher, a marine biologist, a U.N. interpreter and a jockey--but she always loved reading. ＂My idea of the perfect summer vacation,＂ she says, ＂was to go to the library once a week, check out as many books as I could fit into my bike basket, and spend the rest of the week sitting someplace cool, reading.＂ Cotten lives in Montclair, Virginia.

Delana Bettoli studied art in Boston University and Los Angeles. She lives at the foot of Oregon’s Cascade Range.