"We did not see what the people of His own land saw every day, but we have the story of His life written by those who knew Him intimately, and it ought to be familiar to us all... It is of more importance to us by far than anything else we have to learn. It was written, not for mankind in general, but for each of us, one by one, that we might study it and copy its lessons into our own lives."

(p. 22)

There is no substitute for reading the story of Christ's life in the Gospels themselves. First hand sources are always the best, but this book can assist in developing a more complete understanding and familiarity with the life of Jesus. The author is obviously well-acquainted with the geography, history and culture of Palestine and its people and gives us many of these sort of details which are not explained in the Bible. She is also well-versed in the Bible - particularly Our Lord's life and the foreshadowing and prophecies of the Old Testament related to it. I found the details of how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies particularly fascinating.

The story is very beautifully written and the events are related in terms of what we know from the biblical accounts, relevant prophecies and considerations and meditations on why Our Lord did certain things and what He and others may have been thinking about each event.

Some may dispute the "Simply Told" aspect of the title because of a certain amount of antiquated language. Be assured that definitions given in the footnotes (at the bottom of each page)are very helpful. Footnoted scriptural references allow for a more easy comparison of the relevant passages from the original text. The author shows some reluctance (as seems rather common with authors of that time period) to discuss certain events connected with the Annunciation and the Incarnation such as Saint Joseph's thought of divorcing Mary when he found that she was with child and his reassurance by an angel in a dream.

I think this book would make a rather nice family read-aloud during Lent. We found it very nice (even for our six year old) when we read a chapter or two at a time (the chapters are rather short) and spent some time discussing events as we went along.

Set sail on a stormy sea with Jonah and His Amazing Voyage as your young children learn about Bible stories in this light-hearted set from the Bible Adventure Club series.

Each kit includes a hard cover full-color picture story book, activity book, read-along audio cassette, interactive CD-Rom, and parents guide. The picture book is a simple retelling of the story of Jonah to appeal to younger children with bold, colorful, and cartoon-like illustrations. The audio cassette is a dramatized version of the story with original music to listen to while reading along with the book. The activity book includes fun facts, projects, mazes, and more. The interactive CD-Rom includes an animated story, original song, coloring book, word search, matching, puzzles, quiz game and light up puzzle (a scrambled puzzle that lights up when the squares are in order.). Some activities offer different levels of play.

Because of the light-hearted approach and the types of activities, this kit is designed for younger children. My five-year-old and eight-year-old daughters have enjoyed listening to the story many times as well as playing the many creative learning activities on the CD-Rom. Since there are a variety of activities on the CD-Rom and in the activity book, a wide range of younger children can enjoy this kit. Jonah and His Amazing Voyage is just one from a series of Bible Adventure Club kits. Other kits include Other kits include Creation:God's Wonderful Gift, Jesus:the Birthday of the King, Noah and the Incredible Flood, and David and his Giant Battle.

We put this poster up in our upstairs hallway thinking that the colorful pictures would be attractive to the little ones and help them develop a better understanding of the Life of Jesus. The full color drawings are attractive but dignified. It's been a big hit so far. I find my six year old reading words here and there, my four year old asking about what happens in different pictures and my two year old pointing to her favorite scenes. The pictures include simple descriptions and dialogue along with Biblical references.

Bernie (age 4) says: "I like Christmas and Easter and Palm Sunday and the Last Supper. And I like when Jesus was baptized. Jesus made water into wine."

Terri (age 6) says: "I think the poster looks pretty. It is about God. I like the pictures of Palm Sunday. It looks like fun."

Gus (age 8) says: "It's sort of like a Picture Bible on one poster."

Four reproducible work sheets cover "the Miracles of Jesus", "the Parables of Jesus", "Who is Jesus" and "Events in the Life of Jesus".

Update March 2024: Ascension Press used to carry these wall charts but no longer does. However, they are still being published (see the box at the top of this review for details).

This is a friendly little introduction for children to the small ways that they can show love to God. It's a combination of a book of manners (since there are explanations of how to behave at Church - and why) with a simple devotional theme that is accessible to young children. What a great idea!

Children are gently encouraged to bow their head when Jesus' name is said, show a sign of affection when they pass by a Catholic Church because Jesus is present in the tabernacle, and say a prayer when they see an ambulance go by. Regarding Holy Mass, the book encourages and explains why we dress appropriately for Mass, bless ourselves with holy water, genuflect, and try to pay attention even when it's hard. There are also parts of Mass that are illustrated and explained (both how we act and what is happening): the "Lord Have Mercy" prayer, The Prayer Before the Gospel (and the special signs we make at that time), The Consecration and Communion. The book concludes with the theme of prayer, including why and how we pray to Mary, to the Saints and to the Angels and prayers for mealtime and bedtime.

Each subject is covered with a colorful illustration on one side of the page and a page of text (including a Bible quote). It's perfect for children preparing for their First Communion, but could certainly be enjoyed by younger children too.