panda_incognito's review
4.0
This picture book is the latest installment in the Tales That Tell The Truth series. Just like the previous books, it combines colorful, engaging illustrations from Catalina Echeverri with text that expresses biblical truths in a direct, child-friendly way. This book has some especially arresting artwork, including double page spreads where the reader needs to turn the book sideways. I enjoyed the artistic flair and the way that Carl Laferton shares the story of Elijah calling on God to prove himself in contest against Baal, whom the Israelites were worshiping at that time. Laferton then connects this story to the story of Jesus, showing how Jesus's rise from the grave won the ultimate "God contest." The book concludes with an encouragement for children to make up their minds about God.
This is a great option for Christian families and churches. I greatly enjoyed it, and appreciate the direct and immediate narrative voice, which demystifies complex concepts for children. I like how the author incorporates an explanation of the name "Yaweh," and absolutely love one of the final page spreads, which shows a line-up of about twenty diverse Christians from throughout history proclaiming together that Jesus is God. This surprised and delighted me, and I enjoyed recognizing many of the faces and reading their names. This was an excellent touch, and a moving addition to the story.
The only reason why I am not rating this five stars is because I did not prefer the language of being on "Team Baal" or "Team Yaweh." This turns into "Team Jesus" at the end, and even though I understand what the author was going for, it didn't work for me. It made me think of love triangles from series like Twilight and The Hunger Games, and also evokes a sense of tribalism that is counterproductive in today's cultural climate. However, despite this quibble with the wording, this is an excellent story and meaningful book that I would definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great option for Christian families and churches. I greatly enjoyed it, and appreciate the direct and immediate narrative voice, which demystifies complex concepts for children. I like how the author incorporates an explanation of the name "Yaweh," and absolutely love one of the final page spreads, which shows a line-up of about twenty diverse Christians from throughout history proclaiming together that Jesus is God. This surprised and delighted me, and I enjoyed recognizing many of the faces and reading their names. This was an excellent touch, and a moving addition to the story.
The only reason why I am not rating this five stars is because I did not prefer the language of being on "Team Baal" or "Team Yaweh." This turns into "Team Jesus" at the end, and even though I understand what the author was going for, it didn't work for me. It made me think of love triangles from series like Twilight and The Hunger Games, and also evokes a sense of tribalism that is counterproductive in today's cultural climate. However, despite this quibble with the wording, this is an excellent story and meaningful book that I would definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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