The Birds of Christmas by Olivia Armstrong

The Birds of Christmas want to honor the birth of Jesus in their own special way in this sweet folktale.

The Birds of Christmas by Olivia Armstrong, illustrated by Mira Miroslavova. Eerdmans, 2025. 40 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 0-8

Raven sees a bright light and hears a voice announcing the birth of a special baby. Raven is instructed to go and tell the rest of the birds! When each bird hears, it thinks of a gift: warm coverings made by Wren, special songs by Rooster, feathers for a pillow from Stork. They all swoop into a small stable where a baby lies. One little bird wonders what it has to offer. And then, as the fire dies down and a chill seeps into the air, it knows just what to do.

Based on a European folktale, this sweet story very much reads like a European folktale (as opposed to a folktale about Jesus’ birth that is more Middle Eastern). The birds are European, the stable pictured looks European, and even the notion of a cold night is more European. Still, this is a lovely story about the gifts each creature can offer to praise the Lord. We know that even the rocks will cry out in praise, why not the birds?

Considerations:

• Images: Images of Jesus as a baby.

Bottom Line: If your Christmas book stash needs a little something different, look for this well-illustrated, Christ-centered folktale.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: A similar Christmas folktale is The Animals Speak.
• Book Reviews: More Christmas books you may enjoy: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard and Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo (starred review).
• Resource: We also have a Bird Booklist!

You may purchase The Birds of Christmas from amazon.

As with many of the books we review, we received a free copy of this from the publisher in return for a fair, unbiased review.