A Book Review from Books At a Glance
by Kristin Stiles
Can you even imagine being given the task of taking the tenets of theology, Christology, and soteriology and setting them to an A-Z rhyming acrostic for children ages 5-11? Oh yeah, and then record it all as a rap. Jonathan Gibson and Timothy Brindle (both of whom are highly educated Old Testament scholars) have assumed this challenge and produced three titles in the series so far: The Acrostic of God, The Acrostic of Jesus, and The Acrostic of Salvation. Books four and five are in the works: The Acrostic of Scripture and The Acrostic of Bible Memory.
Each book follows the same format. For every letter from A-Z, a key term in that branch of doctrine is listed with a 4-8 line rhyming explanation. There is an accompanying illustrated letter which relates to the word. Illustrator C.S. Fritz was very creative in tying the artwork to the concepts. These books do not shy away from theological vocabulary. You will find words like “propitiation,” “expiation,” and “omnificent” (that was new to me!). But the authors do a great job of explaining these words – and in rhyme, no less! These books also do not shy away from theological concepts such as the depravity of man and election. Don’t let these statements lead you to believe these books are over the heads of children. I believe any child can learn difficult vocabulary and get a basic grasp of deep concepts if they are presented well. These books present them well!
There are some bonus features in these books, too. At the end of each book there is a section called “Basic Truths to Memorize with Your Children.” The selections included are The Lord’s Prayer, The Ten Commandments, and The Apostles’ Creed. Finally, there is a QR code provided that will lead you to an audio file of Timothy Brindle reading the book in rap style. I found something better, though. If you go to Spotify and search for his albums, you can find each of these books produced with music and percussion which is missing from the audio link. The production value is far superior. You can also purchase these files for long-term and on demand play.
These three men came together and really produced a fine series that teaches the most important truths to young children, and they did it in a way that is memorable and “memorizable.” I hope many families will introduce their children to Acrostic Theology for Kids.
Kristin Stiles is a home-school mom, a Sunday School teacher, and helps lead the “Young, Reading, & Reformed” children’s ministry at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA.