January 2026 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story by Terry M. Wildman has received a 2025 Northern Lights Book Award in the religious/spiritual category.
The Northern Lights Book Awards considers children’s books to be an art form and honors books that excel in aesthetic and literary qualities with an emphasis on permanency. Judges comprise industry experts in the fields of education, publishing, and writing.
In addition to this award, Birth of the Chosen One has been honored with an American Fiction Award, an Illumination Award, and a Moonbeam Award. It is also a 2025 Children’s Book Council (CBC) Teacher and Librarian Favorite and an Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite.
This unique children’s picture book is an Indigenous translation of the Creator’s Story told in the tradition of Native oral storytellers. With text from the bestselling First Nations Version (FNV) and stunning illustrations by Native artists Hannah and Holly Buchanan, Birth of the Chosen One is a picture book that illuminates the Christmas story in a fresh and new way.
“Birth of the Chosen One weaves together Indigenous artwork and storytelling in a beautiful way that encourages our youngest siblings to know the love of Creator Sets Free,” said Amy N. Allan, PhD student with NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community. “This fresh presentation of a familiar story inspires imagination, worship, and awe, especially during the seasons of Advent and Christmastime. Native American names and images invite all to the circle to join the drumbeat celebrating the arrival of the Chosen One.”
The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of Scripture that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. IVP’s published FNV titles currently include Birth of the Chosen One, First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament and the First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs. The FNV Old Testament will be released in four phases over the next ten years. Genesis through Joshua will release in 2029, Judges through Esther in 2032, the Major and Minor Prophets in 2034, and the full FNV Bible of both the Old and New Testaments together in 2035.
For a complete list of IVP Kids award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.
Contact: Anna Tjernstrom, atjernstrom@ivpress.com
