“In this story based on passages from the Christian Bible, three wise men follow a magnificent star to find and pay tribute to the newborn Jesus. Told from the point of view of a horse belonging to Melchior, one of the wise men, the narrative incorporates brief Bible verses from the King James version, then expands the tale to imagine what might have happened. Using the horse as narrator helps readers understand that part of the book is fantasy, while the Bible quotations tie it back to the Christmas story. An author’s note provides background about how Brent chose to represent the wise men and the animals they rode. The note also explains how one man is young, one middle-aged, and one old, symbolizing spring, summer, and fall, or the seasons of life. The wise men’s varying skin colors and fine clothes are captured in vividly colored illustrations, highlighted by gold leaf. Christian imagery appears throughout the illustrations, providing avenues for further exploration and discussion.”
—Booklist

A sample spread from the book The Christmas Horse and the Three Wise Men,
written and illustrated by Isabelle Brent