Now: I love me some Fancy Nancy.
Pinkalicious, you will forever be welcome in our house.
VeggieTales, you have your moments, but I can’t really complain because you’ve rescued me on sick kid days.
But none of you have made me worship.
Enter The Biggest Story, by Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by Don Clark. {And that’s not really what it should say at all…”illustrated by” is so passé, so expected…it should say “goose bumps courtesy of” or “tszujed by.” Those would work.}
These illustrations are…
The pictures make you…
It’s like they…
Yep. No words.
David and I discussed the artwork on several pages. That doesn’t really happen with kids’ books. Ever.
High five, Don Clark.
I’m not spoiling any of the images for you beyond this one I found on The Google. No pictures from me…you’ve just got to look at the book. And start at the beginning. Turn slowly.
And since it’s not just a picture book let me say: Kevin DeYoung is a master craftsman of words. I find many of his blog posts on the Gospel Coalition site to eloquently, lovingly, and thoughtfully express some difficult theological topics my husband and I blindly snatch at. If he were to teach a theology class, or a writing class for that matter, I would be first on the list. That being said, this is not my favorite piece.
But I should explain.
We are big fans…big fans…of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
Big Fans.
Such big fans that Bitty E was reciting the David and Goliath section word for word before she could tell me she would rather have a chocolate chip bar instead of a strawberry bar for breakfast. That book seeps from my pores. It crawls in and haunts you. I can’t see a rainbow without thinking of her words “God said, ‘See, I have hung up my bow in the clouds.’” {1,2, skip a few…} And then “God’s strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more—but not on his people, or his world. No, God’s war bow was not pointing down at his people…
It was pointing up, into the heart of heaven.” {p. 46-47}
Even now, just typing it: chills. Which makes it unfair to read Kevin DeYoung’s book with a fair eye because it’s impossible to improve on perfection.
That being said, this book has a place in our home. It might just not be read aloud for a couple of years until the girls arms grow long enough to wrap around some of the more roughly hewn verbal illustrations. {“No one understood it completely at the time, but when Mary pushed out that baby, God pushed into the world the long-expected Prophet, Priest, and King.” P. 101} {Still, BOOM, Mr. DeYoung, on the Melchizedek reference…}
But here’s one of his verbal illustrations we will be using: Snake Crusher. I’m not sure that any two words better personify the work of Christ. “It is finished.” Git on, Mr. Snake. And that puts the perfect picture into a child’s head…or a thirty-something-stay-at-home-mom’s head. Way to preach the Gospel, Mr. DeYoung. And come quickly, Lord Jesus.
{Thanks to the nice folks at Crossway for sending me the book after I used it as the answer to the question in the guilt baby post.}
