A Book Review from Books At a Glance
By Kristin Stiles
What comes to mind when you hear the term “board book”? Most likely it conjures images of colorful pictures that are accompanied by short, simple sentences that attempt to teach a basic concept or tell a brief story. These are books that are read repeatedly to small children and often the first ones that they memorize. Because of all that, using this medium to teach important truths about Jesus is challenging, but can also be greatly rewarding.
In Jesus: The Best Story Catherine MacKenzie states very plainly wonderful truths about the nature, life, and ministry of Jesus. Such direct statements as “He is God” and “He made the world” teach profound doctrine to the youngest audience. Each page gives just a glimpse into the work of Jesus and why His story is the best story. To further engage the listener, MacKenzie adds questions to each page that relate his/her young life to Jesus’ experience. For example, she asks, “What did you do when you were a baby?” and “What do you need each day?”
An absolute requirement for a good board book is that it must have good illustrations. The pictures in this book are colorful with lots of interesting details to look at and discuss. As a mom, I enjoyed reading books with my children when they were young that allowed me to ask “how many…?” and “what color is…?” and “can you find the…?” Although these questions are trivial compared to the importance of the text, they are the type of questions that cause a parent to come back to a book again and again. In so doing, you are reinforcing the information about Jesus that you are reading each time.
This is a great little book to share with children. It has all the aspects that make it a wonderful board book. Young children would benefit greatly from repeated exposure to the truths about Jesus and the parents will find that this book is a joy to read frequently.
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.
Buy the books
JESUS: THE BEST STORY, by Catherine MacKenzie