Like Dr. Suess' version of Bible stories.
Treasury of Bible Stories: Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times
Magnificent Tales Series
by Kelly Pulley
David C. Cook
September 1, 2014
The author doesn't hid the fact that his main influence was Dr. Suess. And it comes across immediately and throughout the book of stories. Sometimes it works well and sometimes it seems almost like a parody. Consider this one:
God made a storm,
and the rain beganlashing!
The wind was whish-wooshing!
The waves were slipsh-splashing!
With 20 stories from the Old and New Testaments, this book covers quite a lot of ground. We get some more obscure (in terms of kid Bible books) stories (Esther, for instance) but all of the ones you'd expect (Noah, Jesus' birth, death and resurrection.)
Something I really liked was that the characters were every race and color. So many times in kid's Bible books and shows Jesus and his Jewish disciples are depicted in a distinct European pallet. This story has black, brown, beige, peach, and every color in between for characters. Could they all be light brown showing more accurately the middle eastern color aesthetic? Sure. But by using all the colors no reader should be left out.
The artwork is whimsical and fun. The lyrics are definitely more pastiche than original. But they get the job done in telling the story well and keeping young readers engaged. A very well done book.
