I bought this book for my 2-year-old, hoping to introduce to him the story behind Christmas. I was somewhat disappointed to find out that the story here was written with much older children in mind, as my son isn't able to understand a great many ideas and phrases ("they merged into a single magnificent star" or "the king rode forth from his palace, bearing precious gifts") used in the book.However, there is one thing that keeps my son coming back to The Christmas Star and that is the shimmering star itself. We see it leading the shepherds and the kings to Bethlehem, making an appearance on every page. So while to me as an adult the book may not be everything I expected, my son enjoys it greatly and perhaps in a few year's time it will help him to learn the story of Christmas.