It is just like the D'Aulaire's to create a story (complete with beautiful full-color illustrations) that would be interesting and appealing to small children and yet teach more about the character and upbringing of "the Father of Our Country" than most textbooks. The story covers our First President's early childhood – growing up in Colonial America – his adventures (and character) as a young officer during the French and Indian War and, of course, his role in the American Revolution and as president.

God King is a very engaging tale set in Egypt and Judah in approximately 701 B.C. Like Joanne Williamson's other Bethelehem Books title Hittite Warrior, God King helps the reader connect major stories from the Bible with contemporary events in secular history. The Egyptian perspective gives us a more complete look at the fierceness of the Assyrians and the great danger they posed to all the surrounding nations – providing greater insight into God's miraculous intervention on behalf of Jerusalem and King Hezekiah.

Taharka is one of the lesser sons of the Egyptian pharaoh, Shabaka. Through an act of mercy that was forbidden to one in his position, he is unexpectedly chosen as successor to his father. Life as Pharaoh is strange and unpleasant to him as he adjusts to a new life of strange eating restrictions, limited interaction with common people and bizarre rules of etiquette. To make matters worse, a whole web of threats and intrigue follows, involving his jealous half-brother Shabataka, who had been groomed for the throne, and the threat of Assyrian spies and invasion. Finally Taharka escapes an attempt on his life and flees the country in disguise in the company the king of Judah's ambassador, who had come to Taharka asking for assistance against the Assyrians. Taharka encounters the seemingly invincible armies of the Assryians and their cruel ways before making his way into a besieged Jerusalem. There Taharka comes to appreciate the faith, integrity and ingenuity of King Hezekiah and discovers how he can use his position to prevent a new threat.

You can find the Biblical account of King Hezekiah in the Book of Isaiah. Ages 10 and up.

Daria Sockey has written an introduction that includes some activity suggestions for home educators.

Inviting the reader in with its black and white illustrations on each page, Great Moments in Catholic History presents one hundred exceptional events in the history of the Catholic Church. Originally published in 1938, each page presents a great moment beginning with the Annunciation and ending with Pope Pius XI's 1937 Encyclical letter on Atheistic Communism. At the end of the book there are 500 quiz questions, 5 for each of the 100 historical events, to review the lessons learned.

This book would be helpful in enriching the study of history with a Catholic perspective. One cannot begin to appreciate history without first understanding the impact of Christ and His church on historical events; The easy-to-read format of this book makes that understanding almost effortless.

The author recommends using this book as a supplement for seventh and eighth graders. However my younger students have benefited from using Great Moments in Catholic History as a read-aloud book. Not only have the children enjoyed learning from our read aloud time, but so have I.

Like many of Neumann Press' books, Great Moments in Catholic History is beautifully bound. The black hardcover is embossed with gold and it is filled with ivory 60-pound paper.