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FLASHSALE
Historically Honest Bible Stories for Curious Kids
Rooted in Scripture and informed by historical and cultural research, children's picture books from Honest Imagination invite families to rediscover the Bible through honest imagination.
The debut book
The Forgotten Nativity:
A Historically Honest Christmas Story
is coming soon!
Follow the journey as the story and illustrations come to life.
Every time we read the Bible,
a cross-cultural activity.
Why does historical authenticity in children's Bible stories matter?
Many of us grew up with Nativity scenes that feel familiar, but they are not always faithful to the biblical story itself.
As a cross-cultural missionary with a Bible translation organization, I was trained to learn new languages and cultures. While living in another culture, I experienced how often deep misunderstandings can happen because of a lack of cultural understanding.
Every time we read the Bible, we are engaging in a cross-cultural activity.
Scripture was written in another time and place. When we forget that cultural distance, we often read our own modern assumptions into the story, and we miss so much.
So I have spent years geeking out, studying the original text of Scripture, historical research, and the work of scholars who have carefully studied the cultural world of the Bible. What I learn is thrilling to my imagination. It has deepened my connection to God.
The Forgotten Nativity grew out of that journey.
There is much to gain from helping our children step into the cultural world of the Bible.
When families nurture honest biblical imagination, it can renew a sense of wonder, help us see God more clearly, and grow a deeper connection with our good God who came to dwell among us.
My first book, The Forgotten Nativity: A Historically Honest Christmas Story can help your family rediscover the birth of Jesus by looking closely at Scripture and encountering the world in which the story first unfolded.
What if the Nativity story is far more surprising and beautiful than you know?
This fall, Honest Imagination will release a children’s picture book about the birth of Jesus that invites families into the biblical and cultural world of the first century.
The Forgotten Nativity: A Historically Honest Christmas Story is rooted in Scripture and informed by careful historical research. First-century homes, clothing, and daily life are illustrated with historical authenticity. Where the biblical text is silent, the story has been imagined responsibly, seeking to portray the world of the Nativity with historical and cultural care.
Readers will encounter familiar names as they were spoken in the language of the time: Maryam. Yosef. Gavrel.
Lovingly crafted for families, this book helps the familiar story of Christmas become more accurate, more authentic, and more alive with Honest Imagination.
Audiobook companion included.
Written by Julie Remington
Illustrated by Darla Tolsma
For ages 5–12
Shipping Fall 2026, in time for Advent preparation.
About Julie Remington
I’m the founder of Honest Imagination and the author of The Forgotten Nativity: A Historically Honest Christmas Story.
I studied linguistics and spent years living overseas with a Bible translation organization. Learning another language and culture reshaped the way I approached the Bible and sparked a deep curiosity about the everyday world behind the biblical text—how people lived, spoke, built their homes, and experienced the events unfolding around them.
I also bring the perspective of a neurodivergent mother who tends to notice small details others might overlook. Those details open unexpected windows into the story of Scripture.
I began writing The Forgotten Nativity after being unable to find a picture book I could read to my daughter that took both the biblical text and its historical setting seriously.
Approaching Scripture with Honest Imagination brings me deep joy, because again and again I discover that God is more beautiful than I had ever known.
My hope is that The Forgotten Nativity will nurture honest imagination in your family and lead to deeper connection with God.
Frequently asked questions
Honest Imagination invites us to imagine the world of the Bible in ways that are faithful to Scripture and informed by history.
Many readers naturally have questions about details in the Nativity story—the manger being in a house, a midwife at the birth, young shepherds, wedding celebrations, travel caravans, and other aspects of everyday life in the first-century world.
The Forgotten Nativity Advent Guide explores these kinds of questions more deeply. Alongside Scripture readings and Scripture Imagination Prayer and reflection, the guide includes short explanations about the historical and cultural background that shaped the illustrations and storytelling in The Forgotten Nativity. The Advent guide also offers simple experiential activities for families to explore the culture Jesus was born into.
In the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth, the angel Gabriel announces key moments in the story, including the message to Mary. In The Forgotten Nativity, using Gabriel as a narrator allows the story to unfold in a clear and connected way while staying anchored to the biblical events themselves. While the dialogue and narration are imaginatively portrayed, the events of the story remain rooted in Scripture.
The Forgotten Nativity is designed to be enjoyed together as a family. The beautiful illustrations invite children and adults to explore the story together, asking questions and imagining the details of the Nativity scene. Parents and educators can use the book to spark conversations about the biblical account and help children develop a deeper understanding of the Christmas story through the lens of Scripture and history.
Understanding the culture of the Bible helps readers see that the story of Jesus took place in real communities among real people. When children begin to imagine that world, the biblical story often becomes more vivid and meaningful. In turn, this kind of honest imagination can lead to a clearer understanding of who God is and a deeper connection with Him.