A Book Review from Books At a Glance
By Kristin Stiles
I was an immediate fan of this book from the moment I saw the title. So often we present Old Testament Bible stories as moral tales that instruct the child to be like Moses or be like David. Ultimately the point of all Scripture is “be like Jesus!” So, finding a children’s book that cuts a straight path to Jesus is so very refreshing. Mitchell points out the details of the account of Daniel’s encounter with the lions and the steadfastness of his faith, but more importantly, points out the steadfastness of Jesus and His encounter with death which brings us salvation.
Mitchell does a wonderfully creative job of setting up this book. She makes it plain from the very beginning that the life of Daniel will point to the greater life of Jesus and incorporates a special lion design that she puts throughout the Daniel story to draw attention to specific correlations. As the child reads through the story, s/he is encouraged to search for these designs and then at the end of the book, Mitchell reproduces each of those drawings with the corresponding event in the life of Christ that it foreshadows. As a result, from the story of Daniel we learn that Jesus was sinless, that He was accused and sent to His death by wicked men, that He prayed in the midst of persecution, and that He was returned from death. These are not the typical themes that show up in children’s books about Daniel and the lions’ den.
In addition to the commendable way that Mitchell has structured her book, there are other aspects of this book that also make it a pleasure to read. The illustrations and even the font are a bit whimsical which adds to its appeal to children. The hidden lion design is subtle in the pictures which adds to the hide and seek aspect of finding them. The last page of the book explains where in the Bible and when in history the account of Daniel and the lions’ den takes place and also offers some other Bible stories that also point to Jesus. The references are given and then in upside down text the connections between the stories and Jesus are listed. I really appreciate this extension activity that provides more opportunities to see Jesus in the Old Testament.
Jesus and the Lions’ Den is a valuable addition to any home or church library. I am hopeful that Alison Mitchell will produce more books following this pattern.
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 AND THE LION'S DEN: A TRUE STORY ABOUT HOW DANIEL POINTS US TO JESUS, by Alison Mitchell