Our Christmas book this year, produced through your support, is The Grumpy Owl and the Joy of Christmas, a story about a grouchy owl living alone in a barn who finds his peace shattered when two people and a donkey arrive. He goes in search of solitude, but his journey ends how he least expects it to – with Christmas joy!
The book was written by Chris Poch and Jon Maltz of theatre company Artless, one of our National Mission Partners. Jon explains, ‘It’s a nostalgic, beautifully illustrated retelling of the nativity story aimed particularly at children without a church background. Through it, we hope they will get to understand the true message of Christmas, perhaps for the first time.
Meet Amos...
‘The book can be used on its own – but we’re also touring a play, “Amos and The Grumpy Owl”, which we’ve written to wrap around the story. The play involves two people who seek shelter in a woodland cabin during a Christmas Eve snowstorm. To help pass the time, one begins to tell the other (whose name is Amos) the story of the Grumpy Owl. The character of Amos is rather similar to that of the owl – he’s cranky, lives on his own and doesn’t want anyone to come and disrupt him. So there’s a parallel between the book and the play, and both of them also have parallels with the nativity; the core messages are of redemption and forgiveness, of a Son coming to reconcile a stranger, an exile, back into a family.
'It’s a real feel-good festive story that children and families will love.'
‘Churches around the country are hosting performances of the play as a way of getting to know children and families in their wider neighbourhood and helping them to connect with the nativity story in a new way. They will also give the children copies of the book so they can continue to enjoy the story at home.
‘We hope that the Grumpy Owl will ultimately lead to many more children discovering the real joy of Christmas for themselves!’
Get the Grumpy Owl
The Grumpy Owl and the Joy of Christmas is the story of an owl who is desperate to find some peace and quiet. Follow his adventure and see the nativity unfold as he returns to the very place he was trying to escape from!
Order your copies and download our free accompanying church Christmas resource pack today!
Read more Connecting You stories
This story was featured in our supporter magazine, Connecting You. Subscribe to the print or digital edition for free, and keep up to date with what God's doing through Scripture Union.