Isabelle Brent’s The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men offers a very pleasing blend of traditional Christmas Bible quotes, a nicely different take on how the wise men traveled, and excellent illustrations with bright colors and complex details that complement the story beautifully. Of course, the idea of wise men on horse, elephant and camel is not new, and the author offers an informative double-page spread of historical notes at the end of the book, to entertain and educate the adult reader as much as the child.

Many different animals play their part in this story, some in the text and others just in illustrations. Each creature offers a different skill in the journey as readers are invited to travel through places and scenes from mountain to desert, river, rocky ground, green grasses and more. Christmas Horse is a beautiful story, at once both familiar and new. And telling it from the horse’s point of view only adds to the delight.

Then there's the message of gifts: physical gifts carried and given to the child; gifts of skills shared to make the journey safe; and the greatest gift of all—a nice invitation to see Christmas as more than just parcels and toys.

Disclosure: I was given a copy by the publisher and I offer my honest review. ( )