The Birds Of Bethlehem

A perfect first Christmas book This inventive and fresh Nativity story is told from a bird's-eye view. On the morning of the first Christmas, the birds of Bethlehem gather in the fields--not only to eat but to share the exciting news. People from all over have descended on Bethlehem and an angel has appeared in the night sky. Something extraordinary is coming! The birds agree that they must find this wondrous thing, and off they fly to the stable where a child has been born. In simple language and dazzling pictures, beloved author-illustrator Tomie dePaola shares the awe and anticipation of the first Christmas. His cast of brightly colored, curious birds will appeal to young children, making this a perfect introduction to the story of Christmas.

The “dazzling” and essential portrayal of 1960s America from the author of South and West and The Year of Magical Thinking (The New York Times). Capturing the tumultuous landscape of the United States, and in particular California, during a pivotal era of social change, the first work of nonfiction from one of American literature’s most distinctive prose stylists is a modern classic. In twenty razor-sharp essays that redefined the art of journalism, National Book Award–winning author Joan Didion reports on a society gripped by a deep generational divide, from the “misplaced children” dropping acid in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district to Hollywood legend John Wayne filming his first picture after a bout with cancer. She paints indelible portraits of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes and folk singer Joan Baez, “a personality before she was entirely a person,” and takes readers on eye-opening journeys to Death Valley, Hawaii, and Las Vegas, “the most extreme and allegorical of American settlements.” First published in 1968, Slouching Towards Bethlehem has been heralded by the New York Times Book Review as “a rare display of some of the best prose written today in this country” and named to Time magazine’s list of the one hundred best and most influential nonfiction books. It is the definitive account of a terrifying and transformative decade in American history whose discordant reverberations continue to sound a half-century later.

Maryam Baouardy is a daughter of Galilee, from a very poor family. At the age of three, she lost her father and mother and was adopted by her uncle. She never learned how to read or write, but her life became a remarkable succession of supernatural manifestations, worthy of Catherine of Siena or Teresa of Avila, from the stigmata to singular battles against Satan. From where does she draw the heavenly wisdom, childlike yet strong, that made her loved by all? Where does this burning love that consumes her come from? For her, just as for St. Paul, “to live is Christ”. This beautiful “Lily of Palestine” became Sr. Maryam of Jesus Crucified in the Carmelite Order. Both humble guardian of the grille and formidable forewoman, she was often visited by Jesus and Mary. The words she transmits from them, pearls of great price, are significant for us today as they enlighten the future of our broken world. Maryam died in Bethlehem in her 33rd year, on August 26, 1878, shortly after the birth of Thérèse of Lisieux in France. Pope John Paul II beatified her on November 13, 1983. It is impossible to know Maryam without falling in love with her, without yearning for holiness, at her school.

A famous American author of children's books presents fifteen Christmas memories, spanning six decades, that detail the path his life has taken.

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A perfect first book for preschoolers who are beginning to recognize the symbols of the Christmas season.

Sweet and succinctly, the Christmas story unfolds in graceful couplets.

Excluded from helping to prepare the Christmas celebration in Heaven, three small angels find a way to light up the night sky on Christmas Eve.