Review/Giveaway: The Biggest Story

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Esmé has grown up on Bible stories. When she was a bitty 3yo, she grasped tenaciously onto the story of the snake, acting the scene of the Fall out over and over again.

Concerned, I sat her down for a chat. What was her fascination with this serpent?

“Mommy, the serpent can really talk!” she exclaimed.

Of course, I thought.  My daughter has ALWAYS loved stories where the animals can “really talk.”  I generally explain that it’s just pretend, but for once, here is a story that’s NOT pretend, and the animal can indeed really talk.

Boy, can that snake talk. He’s distracting us, then reminding us of our failures, again and again.

But. Shining through the cacophony, there is the constant WORD – Logos – the ultimate communicator - the One who spoke and it was so. The Snake Crusher.

“In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God.”

“The WORD became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

And the WORD, bruised for our failures, crushed that talking snake’s head.

All those colorful Bible stories – Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the manger – they’re nice all on their own. Great for a bedtime story or a quick overview on a Sunday morning. But their power comes in their entirety. How do all these stories fit together into a vivid portrayal of the Snake Crusher and a return to the Garden?

Can a little kid understand The Biggest Story?

Absolutely. 

Enter The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden.

Synopsis of Book

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.

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, What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?, and The Biggest Story, 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. He has worked with clients such as Target, LEGO, WIREDmagazine, Nike, Adobe, XBox, The New York Times, and more. Don lives with his wife and their three children on a ranch thirty minutes southeast of Seattle.

Age Recommendation: 5-8 (read to me); 8-11 (read to myself) 
Genre:  Christian children’s book 
Physical Description:  Hardcover, 132 pages, 7”x9”
List Price:  $17.99 (currently $14.98 on Amazon)
To Buy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433542447/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d0_i1
For More Information: https://www.crossway.org/books/the-biggest-story-hccase/

Mom’s Review:

• The Story. I love how all those familiar little children’s stories are woven together in a bigger motif, a constant theme of God working to fulfill His promise. Each chapter is short enough to read easily at bedtime and wraps up nicely, but always with anticipation for the next chapter of God’s story.
• The Illustrations. The colorful illustrations are what jump out immediately when picking up the book. Bright, bold, “cool designs,” as Esmé says. We would play a little game of looking at the chapter header designs and guessing what the chapter would be about. The illustrations make this an attractive gift book. They also tie the story concepts together. There are dark pages, monotonous pages, pages with a glimpse of light. Look at the bright, beautiful garden!
• The Humor. The writing is fun at times – not comedic but just enough to make you smile. Try reading this one aloud, and you’ll see what I mean: “How would God save a couple million people from slavery? It’s not like he could just turn the Nile River into blood and send frogs and goats and flies and disease and boils and hail and locusts and darkness and death until the king of Egypt let them go!”
• The Age Range. The picture-book format, broken up into short chapters, can hold the attention of younger ones. However, the comprehensive way the stories are all tied together make this more than the ordinary picture book – it is thought-provoking for the olders as well.

Giveaway!

Yes, I can offer one blessed reader an The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden.! We’re going simple with giveaway entries here: just enter a comment of any kind on this post, along with your email address or other way for me to contact you. A winner will be randomly selected on September 20. You must have a US or Canada mailing address to win.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for coordinating this book for review and providing the giveaway prize. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win this giveaway!