Go Tell It on the Mountain
Debbie Trafton O’Neal & Fiona King
Augsburg Books, 2003
Most of the year Sarah and I have to do some serious sleuthing to find books that we feel good about reviewing here on the blog. That accounts for at least some of our irregular posting (the rest is due to those darling small people who keep us so busy). Come Christmastime, though, it’s almost hard to know where to start. There are so many great Christmas books out there! Nearly every children’s author and illustrator, it seems, has an urge to create a Christmas book even if they don’t normally write theologically. It may be harder to find really creative ones, but beautiful books that straightforwardly tell the nativity story are plentiful.
Ironically, because there are just so many good Christmas books out there I sometimes find it hard to choose new ones for our home library. How to choose?! I found Go Tell It on the Mountain while browsing on Amazon and, because it looked promising and there was a practically new copy for a penny plus shipping, I took a gamble and placed an order. I’m glad I did, because now that I’ve read it I know it’s one we’ll enjoy revisiting each year.
Fiona King has created illustrations reminiscent of woodcuttings and somehow they also bring to mind the artwork in one of my favorite Thanksgiving books, Over the River and Through the Wood. The pictures tell the familiar story of the nativity, but as we watch the events of Luke 2 unfold we see clearly that what has happened is worthy of being shouted from the rooftops. It’s not a sentimental tall tale, it’s Emmanuel! God with us! The lyrics of the familiar carol are fantastic food for thought at this time of year, reminding us that the birth of Christ is, at its core, good news that begs to be told. The author adds one verse of her own on the end that makes a bridge between the shepherds who first told the good news and our privilege today to continue to be bearers of that same news.
My kids already know the song so they enjoyed singing along with me as I read and at the end they gave the book that classic stamp of approval: “Read it again!” Go Tell It on the Mountain is out of print but happily, very reasonably priced used copies abound. I commend it to you as a book that I think you’ll enjoy sharing with the children in your life.
Aslan's Library 
Pingback: Good King Wenceslas | Aslan's Library
We love this one and all carol Christmas books, we are growing quite the collection. I think this may have been our first, given to us just after our oldest was born. Thanks for the Christmas book reviews. I’m really looking forward to getting ahold of “I saw Three Ships.” Have you read “The Thirteen Days of Christmas”? It is a tradition to read a chapter a day through the twelve days and we love it more every year.
Fun to know that you have this one, Emily! I’ve gotten so many great liturgical celebration ideas (including books) from your blog. I did get The Thirteen Days of Christmas for this year, at your recommendation actually, but in the bustle of the holiday celebrating I never quite finished it before Epiphany came and I lost steam. Next year!