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Operation Nativity

Book Synopsis

When Oscar and Molly rush outside to investigate a crash in the night, they’re not expecting to find a dazed Angel Gabriel wandering around their grandparents’ back garden. And they’re certainly not expecting to find themselves in a race to save Christmas.

But if they don’t track down a missing shepherd, wise man, donkey and the actual Mary and Joseph, who’ve all crash-landed in Chipping Bottom, not only will Christmas cease to exist, but they will too. Operation Nativity is on.

Featuring fun festive activities to try with your family!

Our Review Panel says...

Oscar and Molly are spending their first Christmas with their paternal grandparents, Lord and Lady Cuthbert-Anderson. It is a family tradition to put on a Nativity production in the village church, but due to past dramas and disasters, Oscar’s parents have opted out until now. Grandfather is ill, and this may be the last opportunity to participate with him, making special memories. An angel crash landing in the garden is the first sign that this Christmas is going to be very different!

Angel Gabriel has made a mistake and accidentally blasted Mary, Joseph, Donald the donkey, Wise Man Balthazar and a shepherd called Steve, 2,000 years into the future. If they cannot be returned to the correct time and place, then Christmas will be cancelled! Besides the obvious, Christmas is important to Oscar as it is the anniversary of when his parents first met – no Christmas, no Oscar and Molly!

Once Gabriel has described the situation to Oscar, they are in a hilarious race against time to ensure that the Nativity happens in Bethlehem. With the others scattered around the countryside, and Mary and Joseph attempting to continue their journey, it will take resourcefulness to find them, not to mention keeping their identity secret.

Besides being very funny, this is a poignant and tender story about a family discovering the true meaning of Christmas. Jenny Pearson is an expert at creating likeable, personable characters with whom the reader can really engage, whatever unusual situations they find themselves in! The chapter headings of Christmas carol and song titles with additional humorous, ironic comments by Oscar, add to the fun.

This would be a great class read-aloud in the run-up to Christmas.

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Operation Nativity

operation nativity

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