The true story

The Three Wise Men are visiting the Child lying in the manger. One of them was exceptionally tall and smacked his head on the low doorway as he entered the stable.
'Jesus Christ!' he exclaimed.
'Write that one down, Mary,' said Joseph. 'It's better than Alphonse'

We've put our specially commissioned knitted Nativity scene out. It was made for us earlier this year by an extremely clever friend of a friend in South Auckland.

My tips for Nativity stories for children:
Wombat Divine by Mem Fox, illustrated by Kerry Argent.
Cat in the Manger by Michael Foreman.

And I just read that Ian Serrallier's The Silver Sword has been re-published for its 50th anniversary. No real link (although I read it one Christmas many summers ago flat on my stomach on the beach - incongruous given that its characters are mostly freezing throughout this World War 2 narrative). But I re-read it this year and it's as moving as I remembered - might help cast light on the modern refugee experience for young readers now.