Main Story and Illustrations
How can you point your children to Christ when you read the OT? What about when you read the story of Daniel and the lions’ den? Alison Mitchell, with help from illustrator Catalina Echeverri, gives parents and children a good snapshot of how an OT character like Daniel and the challenging situation he went through points directly to Christ. There are four specific times where Alison gives a clue that what is happening to Daniel also happened to Jesus. She calls these instances “Jesus Moments” (see below). Echeverri has placed four special lion coins throughout Daniel’s story for your kids to spot.
Alison asks what habits your kids have. Everyone has habits, and kids certainly do too (dancing, twiddling thumbs, singing in the tub, picking their nose…). She encourages them to be like Daniel and make prayer a habit! But of course this habit brought major difficulties to Daniel. Yet as you’ll see at the end of the book, even when Jesus knew he was going to be killed (unjustly) on the cross, he prayed. You can teach your children that when they pray to God they continue Jesus’ story. They can pray to him when things are good and when they are bad.
While Daniel didn’t die in the lions’ den, Jesus did die on the cross. God brought Daniel out of the den, and God, the real king of everyone and everywhere, brought the dead Jesus back to life eternally. All who follow Jesus will be brought out of death and into eternal life with Jesus forever. We can now talk to and know the eternal King of everyone and everywhere.
On the last page you will find more information about which you can talk to your kids. God always intended salvation to come through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and clues for that can be found throughout the OT. This book is just one example to help your children see that. Alison finishes with a few examples you can read about: Jonah, David and Goliath, Abraham and Isaac, and Moses and the mana in the desert. After you read them, Alison provides the answers (upside down) on the bottom of the page to help you see how these scenes point to Jesus.
Recommended?
It wasn’t until I was either in high school or college that I first heard about OT characters pointing to Jesus. I think this is a great way to introduce children to that idea that Jesus fulfills the OT. There are patterns in the OT that are replicated in Jesus’ life, and he goes above and beyond what the OT characters did. The one who did no wrong died for us and took the penalty for our wrongs. He rights our wrongs. He is the King over all, and his law cannot be overturned. And thankfully his rule is gracious and merciful.
Highly recommended.
Lagniappe
- Series: Tales That Tell the Truth
- Author: Alison Mitchell
- Illustrator: Catalina Echeverri
- Age Range: 3-8 years
- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: The Good Book Company (September 1, 2019)
- Take a Look Inside
- Buy the activity book
- Other reviews in this series:
Find it on Amazon and the Good Book Company!
Disclosure: I received this book free from The Good Book Company. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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