Review: The Innkeeper of Bethlehem by Scott Roloff

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem-The Story of Santa Claus
Family Christmas Story
Self Published
E-Book File Size: 1350 KB
Print Length: 115 pages
ASIN: B00FITS078

From Author: A Christmas book for children, families, and anyone who has ever wondered how Santa Claus came to be. This book will permit you and your family to enjoy Santa Claus and the other secular customs of Christmas within the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth. For little children, Santa Claus becomes a real person delivering presents to them from Jesus. Each Christmas season, reading a chapter a night will become a holiday tradition for the entire family.

The book is a story within a story, told by a visiting uncle to a little girl and her nephew. Each night before bedtime beginning on December 6th, St. Nicholas’s Day, and continuing through Christmas Eve, the uncle tells part of the story. Instead of numbers, the chapters are titled by day. The book can be read as a normal book or a chapter each day, and it can be read to oneself or out loud to children. When read out loud, the chapter lengths vary between 10 and 15 minutes.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

What a fun and imaginative way to tie the story of Jesus to the story of Santa Claus.  I enjoyed the story of Jesus told in a way that could be enjoyed and understood by children of all ages. Then the author takes us on a whole new adventure with his tale about Santa Claus.  Quite a twist to any other story of Santa I have ever heard.

The whole story is presented as an adult reading the story to children. From the synopsis above you can see this is what the author would like us to do with his book. I am only showing a small part of the synopsis because the full one tells too much. This is one of peeves with synopsis’. Even with classic stories I like to know just enough to draw me in to the story, if you tell me the whole story on the book jacket why would I want to buy the book and read just a lengthened version.

This would be a nice alternative or in addition to the stories we share with our kids at Christmas. I like the way is set up and the way characters  come to life on the pages. My grandchildren are a little young for this story yet but could see sharing it with them when they get a bit older.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”