Also by this author: Why Do We Say Good Night?
Published by Crossway Books on May 18, 2021
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
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Inviting Children to See Jesus from Creation to the Manger
In the beginning God created the whole world. After six days of work, he had created the stars in the sky, the mighty oceans, tall trees, beautiful flowers, mighty sea creatures, and the most prized of all creation--Adam and Eve. Created in God's image, Adam and Eve were friends with him. But one day "the worst of all days came"--the serpent deceived them and they sinned against God. Adam and Eve's relationship with God was broken.
But God gave mankind a promise.
And what a great promise it was!
The promise of salvation! He promised that one would come who would crush the head of the lying serpent, one who would deliver mankind from their sin, one who would restore man and woman's relationship with God.
But who has the power to do that? Does Abraham, a great man of faith? Does Moses, a great prophet? What about Joshua, the great conqueror?
Journey through the pages of the Bible in search of the promised Savior, from the garden of Eden to a manger in Bethlehem.
This Christian nonfiction picture book is absolutely gorgeous, and tells the story of redemption with attention to all of the different biblical characters who lived and died without being the promised ones. The text emphasizes that even though people might have looked for salvation through someone like Noah or Moses, or through a great judge or priest, all of these men fell short. They were sinners too, and they also needed a savior. The text builds to a point of suspense, and then it introduces Jesus, telling his story and showing how he was the perfect one who fulfilled all of the roles that previous, flawed heroes of the faith had foreshadowed.
The Promise: The Amazing Story of Our Long-Awaited Savior is a great book for Christian families and churches. Jason Helopoulos writes in language that is simple enough for young children without watering down important concepts, and the illustrations from Rommel Ruiz are incredibly dynamic, with showstopping, colorful representations of biblical scenes. His unique art style and use of colors to indicate mood greatly appealed to me as an adult reader, and I think that children will connect with this as well, especially since it is so different from other books they might have seen before.
My one critique is that this book never explicitly states that Jesus is divine, beyond mentioning that he is Immanuel, “God with us.” The ending focuses on how Jesus lived up to the standards no other human could, fulfilled God’s promises, and restored our relationship to God, but I wish that the text had made it clearer that Jesus is the Son of God, not just a perfect man. I am sure that this was just an oversight, but that is why I am only rating this book four stars.