Most everyone is familiar with the story, The House That Jack Built, which is a cumulative story with each page building momentum until you get the completed tale at the very end.
In his book, The Frightening Philippi Jail, Gary Bower, uses this same technique to tell the Bible story of Paul and Silas in prison. He engages children with a rhyming narrative and repetitive phrases so that children will easily become familiar the Bible story and the biblical truths to which it is connected.
The story is illustrated in a whimsical manner which depicts the prison with its “prisoners, crabby and cold, with nothing to nibble but crackers with mold” as they “slept with the bugs and the rats and the slugs”. Children will come to understand the conditions were uncomfortable and unfair to Paul and Silas who had done nothing wrong.
But more so, they will come to understand that we all can come through difficult situations through prayer and praise.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)
This is one of the books in the Faith That God Built series. Each book reinforces a Bible story that children will enjoy each time they are read.
** In exchange for my honest review, Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.
Today I am joining … Booknificent Thursday .
Thanks for sharing your review. I would never have given this book a chance based on it’s cover and title …. Shhh don’t tell anyone…. but your description pulled me right in and now I definitely want to know more. The whole series sounds like a good one to add to our library to share with my kiddos. I’m your neighbor on Booknificent Thursdays.
I am glad the review piqued your interest in the series. Thanks for stopping here!