Esther and the Very Brave Plan – Tim Thornborough and Jennifer Davison

Esther and the Very Brave Plan by Tim Thornborough, Jennifer Davison
Also by this author: Moses and the Very Big Rescue, Deborah and the Very Big Battle, Moses and the Very Big Rescue, Deborah and the Very Big Battle, God's Very Colourful Creation, God's Very Colourful Creation, God's Very Colourful Creation, God’s Big Promises: The First Christmas: Sticker and Activity Book, God’s Big Promises: Advent Calendar and Family Devotions, God’s Big Promises Bible Story Prayers: 101 Prayers for Children
Series: Very Best Bible Stories
Published by Good Book Company on August 1, 2021
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

In this faithful retelling of a classic Bible story, children 2-4 years old will discover how God used Esther to protect his people from an evil plan. Children will learn that God's plans to rescue his people never fail.
Contains bright, fun-filled illustrations by Jennifer Davison.

This picture book retells the biblical story of Esther in a way that is faithful to the source material while simplifying details of the plot for young children. Tim Thornborough writes in a kid-friendly style, and throughout the book, he emphasizes that even though the human characters all had different plans, God had a plan and was working out the details in all that happened. Jennifer Davison’s illustrations are vibrant with rich, bright colors, and she draws elements of Persian culture into her visual representations of the story, such as when she portrays characters with cuneiform tablets. The book ends with a message of encouragement, saying that God will always work out His plans, even when it seems like everything is going wrong.

Esther and the Very Brave Plan is a great book for Christian families, churches, and Christian schools, and because the illustrations are so bold and striking, the book can be engaging and eye-catching from a distance, if a teacher is holding it up for a group of kids to look at. The book also has a solid rhythm to the text that lends itself well to a read-aloud. This adaptation of the Esther narrative for young readers does simplify some details from the source material, but the text is faithful to the overarching narrative and themes, even as the author drops some nuances from the plot and characters to condense the story to twenty-four pages. This is a great introduction to the story for young children, especially since it represents the racial and cultural background of the historical events, and parents and teachers can enjoy this as well.

four-stars