Years ago I was asked to write a feature story for the December issue of a children’s magazine. The editor asked me to tell the Christmas story in a new and fresh way, never wavering from the TRUTH of Scripture.

A new and fresh way? I thought. How many children’s books and magazine stories have been written about the birth of the Savior? Hundreds upon hundreds! How many new and fresh approaches can there be? I wasn’t feeling that creative. So, I prayed...and there it was! I ran the idea by the editor and he said, “I’m not sure that can be done but give it a try!”

“You did it!” the editor said after reading What Can a Baby Do? I used talking animals but stayed true to the Biblical message. It was eventually published as a picture book, The Baby Who Changed the World by Faithkidz. The Lord has allowed this book to be performed as a play in a Christian school and several churches. What a thrill it was to watch children in costumes use their funny “animal” voices to tell the story on stage! The book has been recommended as a Christmas favorite by Home school Teachers and Christian websites as well.

My challenge was this…could I use talking animals in the stable and still stay true to, and not contradict the Scriptures? After all, if there had been an ox, a cow, a dove, a sheep, etc., in the stable (and there could have been), they surely didn’t carry on and create a rambunctious, rollicking ruckus about what kind of baby would be born in their stable that night!

Never change Biblical truth for the sake of fantasy, but go ahead and write fantasy as long as it doesn’t change Biblical truth.

Christmas trees, ornaments, and Reindeer can’t be forgiven from their sins by Jesus Christ the Son of God. An inanimate object like a Christmas tree angel-topper should not quote Scripture or hold conversations with God. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cannot lead a Bible study for Dancer, Prancer, and--- well, you get the idea. Christmas trees don't accept Christ in a family living room while listening to dad read the Christmas story to his children. Icicles cannot melt, quickly pray the sinners prayer, die and go to the very REAL Heaven and meet Jesus. Believe it or not I've seen this manuscript! Of course, it was never published

Living creatures in a story can certainly know about and speak of their wonderful Creator. They shouldn’t however, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. That would change Biblical truth. The gift of salvation is provided for humans who need to be made right with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Creating Christian animals or inanimate objects can make the Bible seem like a fairy tale. Little ones have difficulty separating reality from fiction. We want the Bible to be credible to children and never present it as a compilation of fairy tales.

In The Baby Who Changed the World I communicated the TRUTH that Jesus came to love and rescue sinners. HUMAN sinners. The donkey that carried Mary tells the stable animals that a special baby will be born in their midst that very night. The ox is adamant that this special baby will be a baby ox. The cow disagrees. “What’s more wonderful than a newborn calf?” she says. The dove is

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