“Man created one of our most beautiful toys out of the nativity scene. With little dolls modeled on him he tells stories from the earthly childhood of his God. He playfully adores Him. Kurt Kusenberg gives a sensitive and heartfelt account of manger scenes from throughout the world, and Asta Ruth-Soffner accompanies him, at the same time presenting the reader with a little feast for the eyes through all of the endearing things with which the world of nativity scenes is filled.”In 1949, the Verlag Gerd Hatje used these well-chosen words to promote its newly published Christmas book Das Krippenbüchlein. In 2015, with the reprint of this delicately illustrated Hatje classic, thoughtfully written by the art critic Kurt Kusenberg, we are celebrating two decadal anniversaries: Gerd Hatje would have turned one hundred on April 14, and the employees of Hatje Cantz are proud be able to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of its founding.