Christmas in the Stable facts for kids

Christmas in the Stable (original title: Jul i stallet) is a children's book by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Harald Wiberg.

Plot

A mother tells a story about the very first Christmas to her child. Although it had happened a long time ago. in a distant land, the child imagines that it had happened on his parents' farm.

A man and a woman are very tired after a long journey and want to sleep. But there is no light in the courtyards around them. Therefore, the two travelers go into a stable. When the couple is in the stable the animals walk around the woman and warm her up. A short time later, the woman gets a baby. All stars suddenly light up, one is particularly bright and stands directly above the stable. The shepherds in the fields wonder why there is a star above the stable. When they see the newborn child, they realize that the star is shining for the child. Since there is no bed, the woman puts her child in a crib. The child sleeps and is watched by the shepherds and animals. The poinsettia is shining in the sky above the stable.

Background

The book was first published in 1961 in Sweden, by Raben & Sjogren. The text had been written by Astrid Lindgren and the book was illustrated by Harald Wiberg. The story has been translated into many languages, including English, German, Low German, and Frisian. In Sweden and German a new Edition of the book with pictures from Lars Klinting has been released in 2002. This Edition has not been published in English.

Awards

• 1970: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
• 1973: The Brooklyn Art Books For Children Citations