Julie Hansen's first published children's book began with a question that took shape while she was expecting her first child: What might Mary have felt as she prepared for the birth of Jesus? That personal reflection became the inspiration for The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born, a rhyming retelling of the Nativity written with families in mind. Released November 1, 2026, through 100X Publishing, the book revisits the familiar events in Bethlehem while placing the relationship between motherhood, faith, and the meaning of Christmas at the heart of its storytelling.
Children's Christmas Christian/Religious
Date Published: 11-01-2026
Publisher: 100X Publishing
The greatest gift came in the smallest of ways.
On a quiet night in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph searched for a place to welcome their precious baby. What they found was a humble stable, and what happened there would change the world forever.
This heartwarming, faith-based children’s book celebrates the story of Jesus’ birth for readers young and old. May it become a cherished family favorite and a beloved Christmas tradition to share around the Christmas tree year after year.
Through gentle rhyme and beautiful storytelling, The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born invites children and families to experience the wonder of that very first Christmas: the star in the sky, the angels’ song, the shepherds who came to see, and the wise men who came bearing gifts.
But above all, it is the story of a tiny baby who was so much more than an ordinary child.
Jesus. Our Savior. Our King, and the reason we celebrate Christmas.
The inspiration behind Julie Hansen's book offers an especially meaningful connection to its subject. While anticipating the birth of her first child, Hansen began considering Mary's experience as an expectant mother, thinking about the love, anticipation, and extraordinary circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. That perspective gives The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born a personal foundation beyond the familiar events of the Nativity.
The use of gentle rhyme also makes the story particularly suited to being shared aloud. Children are introduced to the stable in Bethlehem, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men through a narrative centered on the religious meaning of Christmas. For families hoping to establish traditions that emphasize their Christian faith, the book offers a way to revisit the birth of Jesus together during the holiday season.
The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born will appeal to Christian families who want to introduce young children to the biblical Christmas story through a gentle, rhyming read-aloud. Parents and grandparents who enjoy sharing faith-centered books during Advent or around the Christmas tree may find it particularly relevant to their holiday traditions. The book may also interest Sunday school teachers, children's ministry leaders, and those selecting religious Christmas gifts for young readers. Hansen's reflections on Mary's experience offer an additional connection for mothers who want to explore the Nativity with their children from a maternal perspective.
Julie Hansen is a Christian, wife, and mother of four who has always cherished the wonder and joy of Christmas. Her journey as an author began many years ago, while she was pregnant with her first child, a son.
As Julie prepared to become a mother for the first time, she found herself thinking about Mary in a way she never had before. Through her own anticipation, excitement, and love for the little life growing inside her, she began to imagine what Mary’s heart must have felt like as she awaited the birth of Jesus—the Son she would love as a mother and the Savior she would one day watch give His life for the world.
From those thoughts came a story written from a mother's heart, with the hope of helping children experience the wonder of that very first Christmas.
Years later, that story has become Julie's first published children's book. Her greatest hope is that as families read these pages together, they will be reminded of the beautiful truth at the heart of Christmas: Jesus is God's greatest gift to the world.
Julie is grateful for the opportunity to share this story with families and hopes it will become a cherished part of their Christmas traditions for years to come.
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The story behind The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born is closely connected to the story Julie Hansen wanted to tell. Her reflections on becoming a mother led her to consider Mary's experience in a new way, eventually inspiring a children's book about the birth of Jesus. With its rhyming presentation and emphasis on the Nativity, Hansen's debut is intended to be shared within the family rather than read only once. For households that place the Christian meaning of Christmas at the center of their celebrations, this new release offers another opportunity to gather together and revisit the events in Bethlehem.
