I'll begin this review by saying that The Jesus Book, published by Thomas Nelson, is a must have for your child's library. In a simple and easy to understand way, it introduces children to the life, teaching and wondrous works of Jesus Christ. Best of all, it shows Christ's love for his children and encourages them to have a lifelong relationship with him. The sturdy, 96-page book with a padded hardcover is divided into seven sections. The first five explore who Jesus is, what he did, what he taught, when major biblical milestones about him occurred and where they happened. The final two sections answer questions children might ask about Jesus and explain how to have a lifelong relationship with him. Section pages are color coded for easy reference.
Best-selling author Stephen Elkins has divided each section into one-or-two-page subsections making the book easy to read and discuss a little bit at a time. Each subsection begins with a scripture reference so parents and children can easily find the story in the Bible. Biblical truths about Jesus are written in language that kids can relate to and in an amazingly concise yet thorough way. When necessary, Elkins uses simple analogies to explain. For example, when introducing the concept of salvation he writes, "Let's pretend that you have become very sick. The doctor says only one medicine can save you. Would you take it? Of course you would! Jesus is like a good medicine." Claudine Gévry's richly colored illustrations are the perfect complement to Elkin's text and will grab the attention of younger readers.
The Jesus Book incorporates several special features the best of which is a colorful timeline that looks somewhat like a trail you might find on a child's board game. The timeline leads from the creation all the way to eternity. Key events about Jesus are scattered along the way and supported by scripture verses. Several simple maps follow the timeline and prompts are included to encourage children to find places mentioned in the text. Rounding out the special features are a complete table of contents as well as an index to scripture verses, topics and names of people and places. The book even comes with a bonus CD filled with more than an hour's worth of songs about Jesus. This book is great value for the suggested retail price of $16.99, and I highly recommended it as a teaching tool for Christian parents and educators.
Please take a few minutes to visit the Thomas Nelson web site where you can view the first 19 pages of The Jesus Book. Then keep watching my blog for reviews of more great books published by Thomas Nelson.
The Jesus Book
Hardcover, 96 pages
Ages: 4-8
Written by Stephen Elkins
Illustrated by Claudine Gévry
ISBN: 1400314631
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