WINNER OF THE WINTER 2019 PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN THE CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS STORY CATEGORY AND HONOURABLE MENTION IN THE PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS (HOLIDAY CATEGORY)!
ON SALE FOR $10, shipping and handling included! Regularly $18!
Check out some FREE activities at the bottom of this page...
What's the difference between the first version and the latest version? Not much, only minor front and back cover changes. Be sure to take advantage of the sale...once they're gone, they're gone!
US and Canadian sales only - those outside of the US and Canada, contact me for prices.
AVAILABLE IN BOOK AND MORTAR SHOPS (DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON):
Book City (Beaches and Yonge & St. Clair)
- Published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Illustrations by Alex Zgud.
- Officially launched November 17th, 2018 at Indigo Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto.
- New edition to be published at a date TBA.
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Fun Merry Myrrh activities:
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Check out these reviews for "Merry Myrrh, the Christmas Bat"!
Story Monsters Ink Shelf/Christmas Shelf/Midwest Book Review:
Christmas joy fills the air with a life all its own. Every year it arrives with promises of wonder, whispers of hope, and a sense of well-being for any who are open to it, whether man, or beast, or even a family of little brown barn bats. Animals develop habits and patterns in their lives much like we do. Well, certainly this sweet little family of bats does! They close every year with the enchantment of Christmas lights, smells, and happy feelings, to keep them warm through their winter hibernation. The author and illustrator bring delightful animation, and a new awareness to these charming barn bats and their plight. More can be learned, and even help offered in preserving these little creatures. (Ages 4-7)
-- Darleen Wohlfeil, StoryMonsters Ink, December 2018 issue
"Myrrh is a young and very merry brown bat named after one of the gifts of the Magi. He experiences the wonders of his first Christmas among the decorations of a farmhouse, as well as the kindness of the family that discovers him in their home in "Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat"! An original Christmas story by author Regan W. H. Macaulay and charmingly illustrated by Alex Zgud, "Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat" is a wonderfully entertaining read that is very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 4 to 7."
-- The Christmas Shelf, MidWest Book Review, December 2018
***
Every year, two bats visit a farmhouse to see the beautiful holiday decorations. Eventually, they have a son, Myrrh. On his first Christmas, he wants to see the decorations, too. Mom and Dad think he's too young. But he has other ideas.
Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat is a charming story that features an unlikely Christmas character. Children will enjoy the antics of the adorable bat and all the lovely Christmas scenes throughout the book. The story is well-written with exceptional illustrations.
The author also includes a note to readers for how they can help protect bats.
Highly recommended for children ages 3-7. -- Sherry Ellis, Children's Book Author
***
...The story is lovingly illustrated, with gorgeous detail, by Alex Zgud. Readers will feel as if they are looking in the window and seeing the wondrous scene that Myrrh and Sensa see. And like Myrrh, we’ll want to get closer and closer. This adventure could very well be Myrrh’s last one, if not for the kindness of the human farmhouse family.
“Merry Myrrh, the Christmas Bat” is highly recommended for children ages 4 – 7. The younger ones will enjoy the artwork as the story is read to them and the older ones can read it themselves or read to younger siblings. This is a lovely story to be shared and enjoyed each Christmas. -- Penelope Anne Cole, Children's Book Author
***
...MERRY MYRRH: THE CHRISTMAS BAT is a sweet adventure story of a young bat experiencing the wonder of his first Christmas. The kindness shown him by the farmhouse family is a good lesson for all children in treating others the way we want to be treated ourselves, even a “Christmas Bat.”
Alex Zgud’s illustrations are beautiful and engaging, and the colorful Christmas scenes bring this story to life and warm one’s heart.
Macaulay also includes an informational paragraph on bats which kids will enjoy. Recommended for Kindergarten-2nd grade children, ages 4-7.
**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This review consists only of my truthful opinions, not influenced in any way by the author or publisher. -- Karin Larson, Children's Book Author
***
Merry Myrrh the Christmas Bat is another charming story by Macaulay. Curiosity and Christmas make a great combination to find the little brown bat inside the family's farmhouse. Young readers will love watching this story unfold as much as they enjoy Zgud's beautiful artwork. I hope this author and illustrator plan to team up again. When they work together they create beauty and magic.
This is a sweet seasonal story everyone will enjoy.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. -- Cheryl C. Malandrinos, Children's Book Author
***
Merry Myrrh, the Christmas Bat intrigued me with its title. I’ve read a lot of Christmas animal stories, but nary a one featured a bat and I loved the idea. I was sure my grandson would love it too. And I was right.
An engaging picture storybook for the Christmas season. Myrrh is a young and very merry brown bat named after one of the gifts of the Magi. He experiences the wonders of his first Christmas among the decorations of a farmhouse, as well as the kindness of the family that discovers him in their home!
The beautiful illustrations add enchantment to the text.
Bravo to author, Regan W. H. Macaulay, and illustrator, Alex Zgud. -- Susan James Berger, Children's Book Author
***
Reader Views Kids:
“Merry Myrrh The Christmas Bat” by Regan W.H. Macaulay is the story about a baby bat who has an interest in Christmas after hearing about its excitement from his parents. Myrrh’s parents are named Mr. and Mrs. Raft, and they are barn bats. Before Myrrh was born, every year they would wake up during the winter to look in the window of a house and see all of the Christmas decorations. The bats see the Nativity first by the window, with the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Then they see the Christmas tree with pretty ornaments and tinsel around it. Next, they see the candles on the mantel over the fire with the stockings and toy sleigh with reindeer. After seeing all of this, the bats go back to the barn and sleep the rest of the winter. Then Myrrh was born, and he was named that because they loved Christmas so much.
The bats talked about Christmas a lot, but they wouldn’t let Myrrh go with them. Myrrh got his friend Sensa Squirrel to wake him up early so he could go on his own, without his parents knowing. When he looked in the window, he saw all of the pretty Christmas decorations, and he saw that the window wasn’t closed all the way. He snuck into the house and got into things and that made the people inside wake up and find him. They were nice and took him back outside to the barn where his parents were waiting for him. His parents forgave Myrrh for sneaking out and they all went back to sleep. I really liked this book because I like reading Christmas books. This was a fun story that I think is a good one to read around Christmas time, or any time of the year. -- Lydia Dehning, Age 6
A Note from Mom: “Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat” by Regan W.H. Macaulay was a cute story about the feelings that Christmas can give us. I liked how the author made it a point to talk about both sides of Christmas, the Christian and the secular sides; too often it seems like Christmas is made to be just a secular holiday, when there are quite a few people that celebrate the Christian aspect of the holiday as much, if not more. At the end, the story shows a loving and forgiving set of parents and paints a lovely picture of Christmastime for kids of all ages.
Christmas joy fills the air with a life all its own. Every year it arrives with promises of wonder, whispers of hope, and a sense of well-being for any who are open to it, whether man, or beast, or even a family of little brown barn bats. Animals develop habits and patterns in their lives much like we do. Well, certainly this sweet little family of bats does! They close every year with the enchantment of Christmas lights, smells, and happy feelings, to keep them warm through their winter hibernation. The author and illustrator bring delightful animation, and a new awareness to these charming barn bats and their plight. More can be learned, and even help offered in preserving these little creatures. (Ages 4-7)
-- Darleen Wohlfeil, StoryMonsters Ink, December 2018 issue
"Myrrh is a young and very merry brown bat named after one of the gifts of the Magi. He experiences the wonders of his first Christmas among the decorations of a farmhouse, as well as the kindness of the family that discovers him in their home in "Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat"! An original Christmas story by author Regan W. H. Macaulay and charmingly illustrated by Alex Zgud, "Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat" is a wonderfully entertaining read that is very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 4 to 7."
-- The Christmas Shelf, MidWest Book Review, December 2018
***
Every year, two bats visit a farmhouse to see the beautiful holiday decorations. Eventually, they have a son, Myrrh. On his first Christmas, he wants to see the decorations, too. Mom and Dad think he's too young. But he has other ideas.
Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat is a charming story that features an unlikely Christmas character. Children will enjoy the antics of the adorable bat and all the lovely Christmas scenes throughout the book. The story is well-written with exceptional illustrations.
The author also includes a note to readers for how they can help protect bats.
Highly recommended for children ages 3-7. -- Sherry Ellis, Children's Book Author
***
...The story is lovingly illustrated, with gorgeous detail, by Alex Zgud. Readers will feel as if they are looking in the window and seeing the wondrous scene that Myrrh and Sensa see. And like Myrrh, we’ll want to get closer and closer. This adventure could very well be Myrrh’s last one, if not for the kindness of the human farmhouse family.
“Merry Myrrh, the Christmas Bat” is highly recommended for children ages 4 – 7. The younger ones will enjoy the artwork as the story is read to them and the older ones can read it themselves or read to younger siblings. This is a lovely story to be shared and enjoyed each Christmas. -- Penelope Anne Cole, Children's Book Author
***
...MERRY MYRRH: THE CHRISTMAS BAT is a sweet adventure story of a young bat experiencing the wonder of his first Christmas. The kindness shown him by the farmhouse family is a good lesson for all children in treating others the way we want to be treated ourselves, even a “Christmas Bat.”
Alex Zgud’s illustrations are beautiful and engaging, and the colorful Christmas scenes bring this story to life and warm one’s heart.
Macaulay also includes an informational paragraph on bats which kids will enjoy. Recommended for Kindergarten-2nd grade children, ages 4-7.
**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This review consists only of my truthful opinions, not influenced in any way by the author or publisher. -- Karin Larson, Children's Book Author
***
Merry Myrrh the Christmas Bat is another charming story by Macaulay. Curiosity and Christmas make a great combination to find the little brown bat inside the family's farmhouse. Young readers will love watching this story unfold as much as they enjoy Zgud's beautiful artwork. I hope this author and illustrator plan to team up again. When they work together they create beauty and magic.
This is a sweet seasonal story everyone will enjoy.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. -- Cheryl C. Malandrinos, Children's Book Author
***
Merry Myrrh, the Christmas Bat intrigued me with its title. I’ve read a lot of Christmas animal stories, but nary a one featured a bat and I loved the idea. I was sure my grandson would love it too. And I was right.
An engaging picture storybook for the Christmas season. Myrrh is a young and very merry brown bat named after one of the gifts of the Magi. He experiences the wonders of his first Christmas among the decorations of a farmhouse, as well as the kindness of the family that discovers him in their home!
The beautiful illustrations add enchantment to the text.
Bravo to author, Regan W. H. Macaulay, and illustrator, Alex Zgud. -- Susan James Berger, Children's Book Author
***
Reader Views Kids:
“Merry Myrrh The Christmas Bat” by Regan W.H. Macaulay is the story about a baby bat who has an interest in Christmas after hearing about its excitement from his parents. Myrrh’s parents are named Mr. and Mrs. Raft, and they are barn bats. Before Myrrh was born, every year they would wake up during the winter to look in the window of a house and see all of the Christmas decorations. The bats see the Nativity first by the window, with the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Then they see the Christmas tree with pretty ornaments and tinsel around it. Next, they see the candles on the mantel over the fire with the stockings and toy sleigh with reindeer. After seeing all of this, the bats go back to the barn and sleep the rest of the winter. Then Myrrh was born, and he was named that because they loved Christmas so much.
The bats talked about Christmas a lot, but they wouldn’t let Myrrh go with them. Myrrh got his friend Sensa Squirrel to wake him up early so he could go on his own, without his parents knowing. When he looked in the window, he saw all of the pretty Christmas decorations, and he saw that the window wasn’t closed all the way. He snuck into the house and got into things and that made the people inside wake up and find him. They were nice and took him back outside to the barn where his parents were waiting for him. His parents forgave Myrrh for sneaking out and they all went back to sleep. I really liked this book because I like reading Christmas books. This was a fun story that I think is a good one to read around Christmas time, or any time of the year. -- Lydia Dehning, Age 6
A Note from Mom: “Merry Myrrh, The Christmas Bat” by Regan W.H. Macaulay was a cute story about the feelings that Christmas can give us. I liked how the author made it a point to talk about both sides of Christmas, the Christian and the secular sides; too often it seems like Christmas is made to be just a secular holiday, when there are quite a few people that celebrate the Christian aspect of the holiday as much, if not more. At the end, the story shows a loving and forgiving set of parents and paints a lovely picture of Christmastime for kids of all ages.