The Birds of Christmas
By Olivia Armstrong
Illustrated by Mira Miroslavova
Eerdmans, 40 pages, $18.99
A vivid European folk tale comes to life in Olivia Armstrong and Mira Miroslavova’s lovely Christmas story. We all know of the gifts of the three wise men, but The Birds of Christmas asks: What if all of creation longed to celebrate the coming of Christ, offering whatever gifts it could to this precious child?
Flying low over Bethlehem, “one cold, dark December night, without a sliver of moonlight, without a glitter of starlight,” a raven is suddenly struck by a shining star, “more dazzling than a thousand suns.” Armstrong’s poetic yet accessible language ornaments an already startlingly unique story in which that star hanging over Bethlehem transforms the world utterly—beckoning not only kings to the bedside of Christ, but setting the world aflutter with activity.
Ravens, wrens, nightingales, and roosters are woken from their slumber. The dark and comfortingly quiet world, suddenly ablaze and filled with the good work of these Christmas birds, prepares to tend to the tiny Savior. “Christus Natus Est!” a rooster crows, leaving no question, even to the kingdom of fowl, of what has taken place.
The central drama of the story unfolds around a small bird—later named a robin—who longs to give something to Jesus. Seeing the precious gifts of the other birds, the robin decides to build a fire with twigs, warming Mary and Jesus who “shiver in the chill of the night.” What unfolds is a classic folk tale, answering how the robin got its red breast. It is a lovely addition to the rest of the Nativity story, and a deeper spiritual reflection on the true nature of giving, welcomed in a season easily overwhelmed by consumerism.
The Birds of Christmas has faint glimmers of another Christian tale, Petook, an Easter story. Originally published in 1988, this enduring book follows the life of a rooster amid the crucifixion and resurrection, reflecting upon the enduring mystical joy promised through Jesus. The Birds of Christmas is gentler, and despite the Latin, quite accessible to children of many ages. It is best read alongside other Christmas stories, illuminating pieces of Christ’s birth that are missed or overlooked in other classic tales.
For children familiar with the Nativity, Jesus and Mary, and the three wise men, there is much to be gained from this lovely little story. In a world of gentle purples, golds, and bright flashes of orange and yellow, Miraslavova has created images that will endure in the imagination, fitting in perfectly to the coziness of the Christmas season. The reflections upon light and darkness were particularly affecting to my 2-year-old daughter, who will now see the dazzling lights of Christmas trees, candles, and bird ornaments entirely anew thanks to The Birds of Christmas.
Bonnie Scott is a graduate of the University of Chicago (M.Div. ’22). She lives in New Orleans with her husband and daughter.
