Also by this author: The Boy Who Shared His Sandwich, The Easter Fix, The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big, The Dad Who Never Gave Up, The Dad Who Never Gave Up, The Christmas Surprise
Series: Little Me, Big God
Published by Good Book Company on October 1, 2021
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
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Zacchaeus ran as fast as his little legs could run, and climbed as high as his little arms could reach. Why? Because Jesus was coming! Discover what happened next and how everything changed for Zacchaeus.
In this engaging retelling of the meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus, young children discover how Jesus came to save people whose hearts are small, and to make a way that they can be friends with God.
Notes for parents at the back help to explain the details of this account from Luke 19:1-10.
This small, staple-bound paperback tells the story of Jesus meeting Zacchaeus and changing his heart. Steph William’s simple, energetic text and colorful pictures convey the core themes of the story in ways that are accessible to young children, emphasizing Zacchaeus’s large sacks of money, social rejection in the community, and change of heart after Jesus pursues and accepts him. The story also shows how other people, who thought that they were better than Zacchaeus, resented Jesus acknowledging and spending time with him. The book concludes with the message that Jesus had come to find and save people who were far from God, because anyone could be God’s friend.
At the end of this book, there is a note for parents that provides additional context, and the following page reprints the biblical narrative from Luke 19:1-10. However, regardless of adult follow-up and discussion, this book conveys key biblical truths well through the text and illustrations, expressing details and theological truths from the source narrative in ways that young children can relate to and understand. This book can also appeal to older siblings and kids who would think that they are too old for picture books, because the text and illustrations convey the story in such a humorous and engaging way.
The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big is another great entry in the Little Me, Big God series. These books convey Bible stories in unusually active, expressive ways, giving a sense of the people involved in these events instead of relaying the story in a traditionally static way. I am impressed with the ways that Steph Williams retells these stories, and would recommend this book and the overall series to Christian families, churches, and church-run preschools.
