Friday, March 30, 2012

Simon and the Easter Miracle by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Anna Luraschi

imageGenre- Fiction/Christian/Easter

Published by- Lion Children’s Books

Copyrighted- January 2012

Number of pages- 32

Age Group- Young Children

Description of book- hardback, list price $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7459-6058-6

 

Based on a Polish folktale and in the tradition of The Three Trees this folktale gives a new view on Easter.

Simon of Cyrene, a farmer, is bringing his product to market and has no idea of the role he will play in Jesus’ last days.  Or the role of his market items- the bread, eggs, and wine. 

Excerpt from the Book.

About the Author-

Mary Joslin has written children’s books on belief and spirituality.  Some of them include The story of the Cross and On that Christmas Night

About the Illustrator-

Anna Luraschi has illustrated many books for Usborne.

My thoughts-

 I loved this book and so did my children.  I first read it silently to myself and I got goose bumps (that means it was a great book), so I had to read it again.  Then I shared it with B who wanted to read it to himself.  I then read it to both B and C.  And since that time they have enjoyed reading it and looking at the pictures.

One thing that made this book outstanding was that it was not a typical Easter story about Jesus dying on the cross.  I had never heard of this story, so I had to read the small section in the Bible about Simon.  What a neat story this is to go with such a small section in the Bible.

I could also spend a long time studying the illustrations.  Anna Luraschi did an excellent job.  The only picture I didn’t like was the first one with Simon at the market.  It looked like the dog was going to the bathroom.  I don’t know if any of the kids reading it noticed, they didn’t mention it.

I highly recommend this book to all families for an Easter tradition.  I know it is going to become a part of ours.

What B (boy, age eight, second grade) Liked and Disliked:

I loved this book. It is a traditional story for Easter.   It has really nice illustrations.  In most of the pictures there is a bird.  The drawing of a fish looks kind of funny.  The dog and cat also look funny.  

In the book Simon goes to market to sell his produce.  The city is Jerusalem.   

I think this book is good for kids my age, because the illustrations are funny.  I also liked the story. He had to pick up Jesus’ cross.

GOD IS GREAT .  

What C (girl, age six, kindergarten) Liked and Disliked:

I liked when Simon helped Jesus.  And I also liked when Jesus did a miracle with the 12 pure white doves.  I didn’t like when Jesus had to be crucified.  I liked when Simon likes the Sabbath, when you have to do no work.

I would recommend this book for kids my age.

Dad Says-

 I enjoyed “Simon and the Easter Miracle”. It tells a story that we rarely hear. The innocent bystander who was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross when he no longer could. This is a unique perspective that I had not considered before.

The illustrations colorfully and clearly convey the message of each page to the reader. The story’s ending is one of hope and blessing.

I would recommend this book to go on all bookshelves.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Simon and the Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale for Easter by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Anna Luraschi for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. All links were current when posted. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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