Children embrace the idea of a world without war, and this book helps them articulate their hopes and dreams for a better world... at school, in the community, and on a world scale. The poems and prayers--which are drawn from biblical, traditional, and contemporary sources--also provide inspiration for how the child can, by attitudes and actions, work for peace in his or her own world.

Long before Jesus was born, it was foretold that He would rule a peaceable kingdom. In The Animals' Christmas, the classic story of the nativity is interwoven with the ancient Bible prophecy of a time when the lion and lamb would lie down together.

As Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds and the Wise Men set off on their journeys toward Bethlehem, the animals that they pass--goat, ox, wolf, leopard, and lion--start to follow out of curiosity. When Mary and Joseph find a place to shelter in the stable and baby Jesus is born, the animals gather around the manger, creating the perfect scene of the "peaceable kingdom" in which all creation lives in harmony together.

From the annunciation to the first Christmas night, this retelling of the nativity story reflects the message of peace at the heart of the season.