Monday, September 14, 2015

The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden by Kevin DeYoung, with a giveaway

Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman. They were the happiest people on the planet.
True, they were the only people on the planet, but they were still terrifically happy.
Unfortunately, things didn’t stay happy and wonderful for long . . .
The Bible is full of exciting stories that fill children with awe and wonder. But kids need to know how all those classic stories connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.
In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung—a best-selling author and father of six—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.
With powerful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, this imaginative retelling of the Bible’s core message—how the Snake Crusher brings us back to the garden—will draw children into the biblical story, teaching them that God's promises are even bigger and better than we think.
 Ages 5-8 (read to me)
Ages 8-11 (read to myself)

My review:
  This is a great and uniquely written story of the Bible from Creation on up through Jesus' ascension. The author refers to Jesus as "the Snake Crusher" throughout the book, focusing on the verse in Genesis where God promises Adam and Eve that a descendant of theirs would crush the serpent's head.

  The book is not the average skinny kid's book, but comes in at 129 pages. The Bible stories are covered briefly, some in just a few words, but all looking forward to the day when Jesus would die and rise again, thus crushing the serpent's head. I enjoyed this interesting and different way of telling the Gospel story, and it should really appeal to young children who are the intended audience.

  The illustrations are very different, but are eye-catching and go well with the method of story telling. The book is divided up into chapters, so a stopping place is easy to find. This is a great book for parents who are looking for a good way to explain the story of redemption to their kids.

About the author:
Kevin DeYoung (MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. He blogs at the Gospel Coalition and has authored or coauthored numerous well-known books such as Just Do Something, The Hole in Our Holiness, Taking God At His Word, and What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?, as well as the award-winning books Why We’re Not Emergent, Why We Love the Church (with Ted Kluck), and Crazy Busy.





About the illustrator :
Don Clark is an artist and the cofounder of Invisible Creature, a widely respected and award-winning design studio based in Seattle, Washington. Invisible Creature was formed in early 2006 with his brother Ryan.

He has worked with clients such as Target, LEGO, WIRED magazine, Nike, Adobe, XBox, The New York Times, and more. Invisible Creature also designs and curates their own line of products for both children and adults. Their products can be found in stores such as Barneys New York, Walker Art Center, Nordstrom, San Francisco Museum of Art, Super7, Whole Foods, and more.

Additionally, Invisible Creature's client list reads like a veritable who's-who of the music world, including Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Cornell, Wolfmother, Alice in Chains, and countless others. In 2008, Invisible Creature received their fourth consecutive Grammy nomination for packaging design.

Don's love for mid-century design and illustration lays the groundwork for Invisible Creature’s aesthetic, although his range reaches far beyond any one, specific style.

He lives with his wife and their 3 children on a ranch 30 minutes southeast of Seattle.


Giveaway:
Courtesy of FlyBy Promotions, I have one copy of The Biggest Story to give away.

To enter, do one of the following:

1) Follow Crossway Publishing on Twitter.

2) Watch the promotional video here.

3) "Like" Crossway Publishing on Facebook.

4) Share this review and giveaway on Facebook or Twitter.

Comment on this blog post and say which of the 4 ways to enter you used. I will pick a winner 10 days from now on September 24 using Random.org. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.


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