The Story of Jesus - Hardcover

Grade 2–5—Skevington's collection of key New Testament stories chronicles the life of Jesus beginning with his birth in a humble stable in Bethlehem and concluding with the feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples. Retelling stories from all four gospels, the author fictionalizes the scripture passages, adding dialogue and cultural details to enliven the characters and the setting. The collection conveys Jesus's message of peace and love by recounting pertinent parables like "The Sower and the Seed," "The Good Samaritan," and "The Lost Son." The selections flow smoothly in a chronological narrative except in the instance when the angel appears at Jesus's tomb. The author includes Matthew's and John's account of this event. The former concludes with the women joyfully running off to spread the message of the Lord's resurrection and then on the next page, Mary Magdalene is portrayed once again weeping outside the tomb. Explanatory margin notes supplement the stories, and the neatly drawn illustrations portray Jesus and his followers in a palette of soft pastels. Although not as eloquently presented as Celia Barker Lottridge's Stories from the Life of Jesus (Douglas & McIntyre, 2004) or Katherine Paterson's The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children (Scholastic, 2008), this title offers a faithful overview of the life of Jesus.—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.