The Story Of Safanad
"The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men" retells the Gospel story of the Three Wise Men from the point of view of their animals. Written and illustrated by Isabelle Brent, the book is designed for children four to eight years old.
Safanad, the horse that carries Melchior on his journey, narrates the story. Melchior travels with his friends and fellow wise men, Caspar and Balthazar, but Safanad focuses on his fellow animals: Caspar's camel, Gamali, and Balthazar's elephant, Simbalo.
Safanad describes the long, difficult journey to the baby Jesus. The journey takes the Wise Men and their mounts through villages and fields, through mountains covered with snow, and through deserts. Safanad shows how each animal used his particular talent to move the journey along. Thus, Simbalo works to move mountain boulders out of the way and later to find a place to ford a river. Gamali guides the group through a barren desert. Safanad himself offers words of encouragement to his companions throughout the long trip. When they reach their destination, Safanad understands its significance: "My master Melchior presented his gift of gold. Balthazar followed with frankincense and Caspar with myrrh. But I knew we received the greatest gift of all."
The story is creatively told with its emphasis on the journey and on the animals. Brent's illustrations are striking, with their bright colors and gilt-edged frames. The red of the desert sands, the rock-strewn mountains, the costumes, and the animals are beautifully portrayed and will delight children. The illustrations are of the same high quality as in another children's book that Brent illustrated that I have read and reviewed here on Amazon, "Saint Anthony the Great". Saint Anthony the Great
This book is Christian-themed and will be of most interest to readers wishing to teach their children the story of Christmas. However, the book may be used ecumenically by those wishing their children to have exposure to a variety of religious traditions. The publisher, Wisdom Tales, in fact publishes spiritually-themed books from many perspectives, including Jewish, Persian, Jain, Islamic, American Indian, and others. Wisdom Tales has kindly sent me many of their books for review, including this book. I find them a wonderful way for young children and their parents to think about spirituality and to explore its expression in different times and in different cultures.
Robin Friedman
