Also by this author: The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross, The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross Board Book, The Christmas Promise Sunday School Lessons: A Three-Session Curriculum With a Family Service Outline, God’s Big Promises Bible Storybook, God’s Big Promises: The First Christmas: Sticker and Activity Book, God’s Big Promises: Advent Calendar and Family Devotions, Christmas Uncut: What Really Happened and Why It Really Matters, God’s Big Promises Christmas Sticker and Activity Book, God's Big Promises: Easter for Little Ones, God's Big Promises Easter Sticker and Activity Book
Series: Tales That Tell the Truth for Toddlers #8
Published by Good Book Company on March 1, 2024
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Using simple sentences and stunning illustrations, this board book shows toddlers that Jesus has proved in history that he is the real God, who rules everything and loves everyone.
The God Contest Board Book features:
• a robust board-book format.
• stunning illustrations by Catalina Echeverri that will delight young children.
• simple sentences that will communicate truths in a way toddlers can understand.
• content that helps children aged 1-3 be confident that in Elijah's time, and in coming as Jesus, God has proved who he really is.Makes a perfect gift for toddlers.
This is a board book adaptation of The God Contest Storybook: The True Story of Elijah, Jesus, and the Greatest Victory. This board book is simplified and shorter for babies and toddlers, briefly presenting the biblical narrative about Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal. In addition to sanitizing some details from the true story, this book also cuts some dramatic details for the sake of time, while still presenting the main event and main message.
The adapted text from Carl Laferton is short and simple, with just one or two sentences per page, and the illustrations from Catalina Echeverri are colorful and dramatic. This book involves selected text and images from the original book, but it doesn’t feel choppy and reads as a seamless whole. However, the part about Jesus at the end feels abrupt, and I wanted more explanation here. The book says that because God wants us to know for sure who He is, He did something even more amazing by sending Jesus. Although the original book explains parallels between the story of Elijah and the story of Jesus, building on the idea more, the connection in this shortened version feels forced and creates an abrupt ending.
The God Contest Board Book: Jesus Is the Real God! will appeal to fans of the Tales That Tell the Truth series, and it is appropriate for families and church contexts. However, because this book simplifies the story so greatly and doesn’t adequately explain the connection to Jesus at the end, I am less impressed with this than I have been with other board book adaptations from the main series. Although this book will serve people who are very invested in this series and want simplified versions for younger children, I would mainly recommend the original, longer book.