Customer Rating:  
Summary: Enjoyable for the Kids
Comment: Good film but not one I'd keep in my personal library. I felt it left out some important points of the story. Mary was depicted as incredibly soft-spoken. I think she was more dynamic and had greater concern for what would happen to her if she did as the angel instructed. Afterall, in her culture it was very likely she would be rejected by everyone including her fiance, Joseph who would suspect her of infidelity, for becoming pregnant during their engagement. Additionally, it leaves out that Joseph knew Mary was pregnant before the angel appeared to him and intended to break their engagement privately so as not to embarrass her. It does include the angel of God but doesn't depict the emotion that would have been following... should he obey God or trust human emotions, writing it off as a strange dream & do what would be easiest for him. The shepherds in the fields risked their livelihood in coming to see the Christ. The angels appeared as a Chorus after the 1st angel announced the birth. The wise men arrived when Christ was probably between 1 & 2 years old as it was a long & dangerous journey to get to Jerusalem. Although it was a night departure from Bethlehem at the angel's direction, it's very unlikely Herod's soldiers were already killing children under 2 as Mary, Joseph & Jesus left Bethlehem for Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
However, it is a good film & worth viewing with your children. They should enjoy it up to about age 8 I would expect. Animation quality is reflected in the cover of the video. Good, not overly stimulating like many films today & enjoyable for a 30 minute escape from daily life.
The Beginner's Bible - The Story of the Nativity
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good video
Comment: My 2 year old son loves this video. He's been watching it almost every day for the past month. I highy recommend this video.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mary
Comment: I am a Catholic who also reveres the Blessed Mother, and I was not offended at all by the depiction of Mary. My son still watches his "bible videos" at age eight and this one is one of his favorites. He has also shared it with his classmates in Catholic school almost every year, and I have never had a teacher object to the depiction of Mary as regular person.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate depiction of Mary
Comment: I have allowed my five year old son to watch most of the Beginner's Bible Series videos and most of them are very good. However, this one does not get a good rating from me because as a Catholic who reveres (not worship) Mary the Blessed Mother I cannot accept big hoop earrings and the subtle innuendoes that she was not much different than other women of her time.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Beginners Bible: The Story of Nativity
Comment: My now 2 1/2 year old received this video for Christmas last year. She loves it!!! She watched it all year round frequently asking to watch her "baby Jesus Video". I enjoyed it too as the quality of animation and the music is very good. We asked for the story of Noah's ark for this Christmas.
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