Clopper and the Night Travelers

by Emily King

Book Overview

The lovable and adventurous donkey introduced in the best-selling Clopper the Christmas Donkey returns to continue the marvelous story surrounding Jesus' birth. After Joseph and Mary dedicate Jesus at the temple, Clopper "clip-clops" down the road to Bethlehem to bring the family home. The excitement continues when magi bringing wonderful gifts appear at Mary and Joseph's door to worship God's only Son.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825430666
• ISBN13: 9780825430664
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Kregel Kidzone
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 10.2" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

A welcome addition to Christian children's picturebook shelves.

Clopper and the Night Travelers is a picturebook for Christian children, told from the perspective of a friendly donkey who was present for the birth of Jesus Christ. Clopper and the Night Travelers further tells the tale of how Jesus' mother and father followed the guidance of an angel to hide the baby Jesus from the wicked King Herod's dominion. "When we got to Israel, Joseph heard that Herod's cruel son Archelaus ruled the land around Bethlehem. In a dream, God warned Joseph not to go back there. So we kept going north, all the way to Nazareth. That was a long trip and my hooves needed a rest!" Jovial, cartoony illustrations endear this story, which makes the early years of Jesus' family's life accessible to young readers. A welcome addition to Christian children's picturebook shelves. Also highly recommended is the previous picturebook in the Clopper series, "Clopper the Christmas Donkey."

Clopper is a pleasure to the eyes and ears!

Clopper and the Night Travelers is a well-grounded, child-friendly telling of the first years of Jesus' life. Shared through the eyes (and ears) of a donkey, the readers hear the story from a new voice. Nearly each page set has (on a parchment page) the Biblical words allowing older children to learn not only Clopper's story, but The Story. Illustrated by Ed Olson, the inviting characters add to the tale. Emily King (be sure to read her stories of Mrs. Twiggimbotham) continues in her use of fine language and correct grammar to present a new Christmas book, both pleasing to children and adults.

More like 4.5 stars...

Clopper is an adorable storyteller. He includes scriptures on many pages as he describes his experiences during his time with Jesus. The pictures also show accurately that Jesus wasn't a newborn when the wise men came to visit the Lord. The story follows a progression of events including the time Mary and Joseph stayed in Egypt with Jesus until they were told it was safe to return. But because of the reputation of Herod's evil son, they took no chances and decided to continue on to Nazareth. A map shows the route their journey took. I enjoyed the detailed illustrations and the story given from the donkey's point of view. This book could be read any time of the year even though it's geared toward Christmas time.