All of the savanna animals are excited to audition for the school Christmas Play, except Raffi the giraffe. He's too tall to play baby Jesus, or Joseph, or even a manger animal. He feels discouraged, until he realizes that he's just the right size to play the most important part. This endearing Christmas story for ages 4 to 8 will resonate with children who are still learning to be comfortable in their own skin.
Lynne Marie is the author of several picture books including, Let's Eat! Mealtime Around the World illustrated by Parwinder Singh, Moldilocks and the 3 Scares illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo, and The Star in the Christmas Play, illustrated by Lorna Hussey. Her stories, poems, and folk tales have appeared in many magazine markets, including Family Fun, Highlights, High Five, Spider, Baby Bug, and more. She is a Cybils Awards panelist in the picture book category, as well as an on-staff writer for Jon and Laura Bard's Children's Book Insider and a book reviewer. When she's not traveling around the world or planning vacations for clients as a travel agent, she lives in central Florida with her family and a Belgian Schipperke named Anakin. Lorna Hussey is the author and illustrator of Little Lost Unicorn (Sterling, 2009) and the illustrator of Good Good Father, by Chris Tomlin and Pat Barrett (Thomas Nelson, 2016); Hedgehog's 100th Day of School, by Lynne Marie (Scholastic, 2017); This Bear's Birthday, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Henry Holt, 2017); and Pigloo, by Anne Marie Pace (Henry Holt, 2016). Lorna lives in a small village called Llansantffraid in Wales with her husband, Andy, and their three grown children, Joe, Matti, and Abi. She has two horses, one dog, and three geriatric chickens. When Lorna isn't drawing or painting, she can be found riding her Spanish stallion, Dionisio. She is trying very hard to teach Dionisio to dance, but he has other ideas!
The muted illustrations feature adorable savanna animals in playful scenes as Raffi finds himself a perfect part in the play and learns not only to accept what makes him stand out, but to celebrate it. --Foreword Reviews A delightfully entertaining reading experience with an important underlying message, The Star in the Christmas Play is an ideal and highly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Christmas season picture book collections. --Midwest Book Review, Children's Bookwatch, The Christmas Shelf
