Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Have you noticed how there’s a plethora of books for kids about Christmas? But where are all the Easter books for kids? We don’t have any books devoted to Easter on our shelves, so when I was given the opportunity to review The Easter Storybook published by David C Cook I was thrilled. I was excited to use this book to help teach my child more about Jesus, the reason behind the important holiday tradition in the Christian faith that we call Easter.
Book Description
The Easter Storybook written by Laura Richie and illustrated by Ian Dale is a series of forty stories covering the life of Jesus from when he was a boy to when he ascended to heaven. Written for an audience of 4-8 year olds, each story is one page in length, a quick read for littles with short attention spans. This hardcover book is filled with pages of thick, quality paper.
An Attention Grabber
The first line of the first story is brilliantly crafted because it immediately gets children’s attention. “Right from the start, Jesus was not like other little Jewish boys.”
There aren’t many accounts of Jesus’s childhood, so sometimes kids may never think of him as ever being a child like them. This sentence causes kids to wonder why Jesus was different. It also establishes the tone for the entire book. In every story that follows, children can look for how Jesus is different from the norm in everything he did.
The Introduction
There is an introduction to the storybook called, The Promise. In it the author summarizes the origin of the world from when God created it to when the serpent’s lies led to everything being broken. She talks about the promise God gives of a redeemer and how people have been waiting hopefully for that promise to come true. The Easter Storybook begins with God’s promise of Jesus.
One-Page Story Narratives
Each one-page story in the book includes a title, scripture references, a scripture excerpt, and a question for reflection. There’s also a handy number in the left top corner depicting the day of lent the story corresponds to.
Quotes from Scripture
The stories are written in narrative, but there are some instances where direct quotes from the Bible are used. For example, in Day 10, “Jesus Calms the Storm,” it reads, “The disciples asked, ‘What kind of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him? (Matthew 8:27).”
Although this book is intended for preschool-primary age children, sometimes the use of these quotes means you’ll have to rephrase it in your own words so your kids will understand.
For example, when Peter falls down at Jesus’ knees and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” kids may not understand what “depart” or “sinful” mean. What is Peter saying?
Use of Language
There are many examples in the stories where the author explains the meaning of difficult Christian words in language that makes sense for young kids. Here is an example in the story “Jesus Finds the Lost” where she helps children understand the meaning of “repentance.”
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, finds the lost and brings us back home to God. He helps us repent. Repenting means knowing you are lost, like the sheep, and reaching out to Jesus. Repenting means knowing you’ve hurt others and wanting Jesus’ help. Repenting is when Jesus finds you and carries you safely home.
The Easter Storybook, page 18
Not only does Laura Richie explains the word in simple language, she does it in a way that captures the heart of God. She creates beautiful imagery for kids to remember. Repenting is a good thing where Jesus is holding you like a sheep.
Expressing the truth of God in this articulate, yet simple manner is what I appreciate about The Easter Storybook. Many times Christian lingo gets thrown around in books, and it unfortunately becomes meaningless. Sometimes it may even be contrary to what the Bible intended, resulting in damage to a child’s future faith.
Illustrations
The colorful illustrations are one of my favorite features of The Easter Storybook. Ian Dale’s realistic illustrations use saturated colors, warm, beautiful lighting, and careful placement of characters to capture the mood of the story.
Although each story is about Jesus, the illustrations don’t put him front and center every time. The artist places Jesus in various locations to reflect the action. This pulls you into the story. You can imagine yourself being there.
In the story where Jesus is in the temple and the religious leaders approach him about stoning a woman who had broken the law, the illustration captures the disposition of every individual in the story. The use of body positioning is powerful.
The three standing Pharisees have stern looks on their faces, expressing superiority. One is holding up a rock near his face, looking down on a kneeling Jesus who is writing on the ground. We don’t see Jesus’ face, but he’s looking up at the Pharisee. Beside Jesus is the woman, head tilted down, watching Jesus curiously and cautiously as she holds her headscarf close to her body. The body language of Jesus and the woman express humility.
The illustrator also includes subtleties that only a child would notice. My son pointed out the lizard on the rock next to the blind man. There’s a dog next to the centurion’s soldier’s bed. These little additions appeal to kids.
How We Used The Easter Storybook
My husband read one story to my son before bedtime mosts nights. I read to him during the day if he missed one the night before. When I sat down to work on this review, my son saw the book and asked me to read it to him. He really enjoyed the stories and when I’d start reading one, like about the friends whose buddy can’t walk, he’d stop me to tell me he knows what’s going to happen in the story.
The Easter Storybook was both entertaining and a teaching tool. My son loves his beginner’s bible, but the stories are very simple. This book added more detail to the stories he’s heard since he was a toddler.
Who Would Enjoy This Book
I would recommend The Easter Storybook to anyone looking for a way to teach their child about Jesus and how his story is part of God’s bigger story.
This book is perfect for someone looking for a way to introduce a reading tradition for lent. Just like using an advent calendar for the month before Christmas, you can read one story every day of lent, finishing on Easter morning.
The death of Jesus can be difficult to introduce to young kids. If you’re looking for a gentle, age appropriate way to share this with your child, this book is a good tool. And because this troubling event is shared in the context of Jesus’ whole life, it’s not the primary focus.
My family likes how The Easter Storybook helps you see who Jesus is by showing the story of his entire life. Children will learn how his life, death, and resurrection bring hope to us all.
We may think that darkness and death and evil will last forever. But they won’t! Let’s remember to look for the Light and live in the hope that Jesus brings to us.
Jesus is alive! One day, He will wipe away our tears and fears forever. And then we will have peace.
The Easter Storybook, page 84
To read more reviews about this book, check out the Homeschool Review Crew.
