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.
I love children's Bibles and storybooks and have quite the collection of them! When I was offered the opportunity to review
The Easter Storybook by Laura Richie, I jumped at the chance! The Easter Storybook from
David C Cook is a collection of forty Bible stories about Jesus, from his time as a boy in the Temple to His ascension to Heaven after His resurrection.
I read this storybook to and with my younger children over the last few weeks. It has quickly and easily become one of my favorite children's Bible storybooks ever!
I love the way Laura Richie writes the stories. She really makes them come alive! She does not simplify the stories at all, but includes commentary and insights that most children's Bibles leave out. For example, in the story about Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, she writes, "He didn't ride on a strong horse like a warrior king. No, not Jesus. Instead, he rode on a small donkey like the true, humble King promised long ago by the prophets."
And in the story of Jesus talking with Nicodemus, she writes, "Jesus said people needed
new life. It wasn't enough to be clean on the outside - they needed new hearts that could love and be loved. New life came from believing Jesus. God's Spirit comes to be with those who believe, giving them new life."
She also teaches about different culture and religious backgrounds that really help in understanding the stories. In the story, "Living Water", she writes, "Jesus and His disciples were walking through where the Samaritans lived - people who were not friends with the Jews. Most Jews walked
around Samaria, but not Jesus." Later in the story, she adds a sentence about how the Samaritan woman mentioned something Jews and Samaritans disagreed about.
In the story about Jesus clearing the Temple, she writes, "Jewish men needed to offer animals and coins to the priests in the Temple. Money-changers traded with people to help them get the animals and coins they needed. But sometimes the money-changers were greedy and dishonest, taking more than they should and keeping the extras for themselves."
I also love the illustrations in this storybook! They are very detailed and aesthetically pleasing. My seven year old loved looking at the pictures. The illustrations almost tell the story on their own! And she includes a question or two under the story to ask your children to keep them thinking. In the story "Lord of the Sabbath", she asks, "Why did Jesus heal people on the Sabbath?" This helps your child (and you!) to think a little harder about the story and opens the door for more dialogue and conversations with your child.
The Easter Storybook (priced at less than $14 on Amazon right now) is the perfect prelude to Resurrection Day. There are 40 stories which would be perfect to read aloud during family devotions or before bedtime. The stories are geared toward children ages 4-8, but my older children also enjoyed listening to the stories and taking turns reading them aloud. I promise that you and your older children will learn something new from this storybook!
I noticed Laura Richie also has The Advent Storybook which I will keep on my Christmas wish list!
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