Make room on your bookshelves for a newly published Christmas book by Robert Z Hicks! Beautifully illustrated with warm, rich tones, Mouse in the Manger is sure to please any child on your Christmas list.

Children will love the rhythm and rhyme narrative of Micah the Mouse who watches the Christmas story unfold before his eyes. Micah’s story begins as he goes to the manger to find some grain for the night. He sees a weary donkey bringing travelers to the stable. Then he watches as the man lovingly helps his wife rest on a pile of hay.  Micah notices that the woman’s belly is big and round. The night turns out to be a busy night when a baby is born in the stable and shepherds run to find the baby. The shepherds tell about angels who appeared in the sky announcing the Savior’s birth. The story ends with the arrival of camels who brought wise men to offer their gifts to the newborn King.

What I like is that Micah only communicates with the animals. There is no animal-human conversation. Even though the story is told through the eyes of Micah the Mouse, the story stays true to Scripture. At the end of the story is a study guide with questions as well as Scripture references. The questions will help parents and teachers talk about the Christmas story with children to help them understand not only the story, but also how it relates to us today.

Children love to use their imaginations, and they will love reading the Christmas story as told by a furry little witness named Micah.

“I’m Micah the Mouse—a Bethlehem mouse, I live in a stable instead of a house.”

To find out more about the story, visit www.robertzhicks.com. The book is also available at amazon.com.

Crystal Bowman