The Easter Story

I just re-read this story to my kids today in Easter week and - wow! - it was just as marvelous as in years past. The story is published by Eerdman's, so as a Catholic, I was concerned that the majesty of Holy Week - the institution of the Eucharist, in particular - would be washed out somewhat. But it wasn't, happily! It is told and drawn for a young audience, so this is no *Passion of the Christ,* don't get me wrong!The story is told, somewhat, through the voice of the donkey, which "freshens" the familiar story line.The art is the real show-stopper, though! Simply gorgeous! In looking this up again on Amazon, I learned that the author/illustrator has done other works, so I will be investigating them now, too.

The art is absolutely beautiful. As far as a children's story goes, I found it very difficult to read to my children and it did not catch their interest. The wording is too advanced and the storyline is very choppy. It was even hard for me to follow at times, given the quick transition from one setting to the next. People are mentioned with no description of who they are, then never mentioned again. Simply random names mentioned, so as a child, the story wouldn't make much sense. I've returned the book and will buy a more age-appropriate version.

I was a little skeptical about buying a children's book for $20.00, but I'm glad I took the risk!The author/illustrator explains it best when he says, "It is the world's greatest story, burning with history, passion, and tragedy. I decided that the best way of expressing this epic drama was to teat it like grand opera, to create the sets and place the characters within them, capturing the symbolism of the Crucifixion and Resurrection in color, shape, and form."The gold-toned illustrations are absolutely breathtaking. The text is very simple and perfect for our young ones. WE ADORE THIS BOOK!

I like the bright art work in this book. The only part I have trouble with is the story line of the donkey witnessing everything that happens to Jesus. It is hard for little ones to distinguish Biblical truth from the author's whimsy of the donkey being there all along the way. I always point this out to the children.

The illustrations and colors in this story convey so much of the mystery and wonder of the Easter story. My toddler son is captivated with the book and the little donkey, through whose eyes the story is told. I can't think of a better way to introduce a small child to this story. Admittedly, he doesn't really "get" the real story but we name the apostles and he describes what the donkey is doing and he calls Mary and Mary Magdalene the "princesses"; I feel that he may "get" it more than I do.

Bought this book for my 5 and 2 year old grand-babies. The illustrations are very well done. The 5 year old loves the story and i have read it to her many times. The story is from the view of a donkey who gets chosen by Jesus at Easter-time. The real story is perfection, but the child's version read by the donkey is lovely for kids. it brought a tear to my eye as well. Good read.

Strikingly beautiful book! I asked the children in my audience to look for the little donkey, and the little angel on every page. Great way to keep a crowd engaged. Each page is also embellished with Wildsmith's signature gold accents. The double-spread crucifixion is breathtaking. It highlights the glory, not the agony. I used the Folkmanis donkey puppet to introduce this story.

I have enjoyed other books by Brian Wildsmith and after reading the reviews on this one I was excited to order it. However, when it arrived I was shocked by the size, about 5x4 inches! Evidently it's a miniature version, though nowhere was there an indication. I wanted to compare the ISBN, thinking the marketplace seller had listed it wrong, but since Amazon didn't have the ISBN on the product page, that wasn't possible. The print is so tiny we can barely read it, so while it may be a fine story, getting through it is such a strain, it's hard to enjoy. Sorely disappointed.

A lovely version of the Easter story,beautifully illustrated.

This was a gift for a little girl. Beautifully written and illustrated.

The quality of this book is amazing - the illustrations are perfect and the gold foil adds to the childs interest.Highly recommended.

I used this in a Key Stage 1 & 2 Easter assembly. It lends itself fantastically to prediction, clarification, questioning and summarising exercises and provoked lots of opportunity for ‘Think, Pair, Share’ and ‘Talking Partners’. The children were thoroughly engaged with the text and responded beautifully to the stunning illustrations. Many classes completed pieces of art based on the story.

Stunning book which summarises the Easter Story for all ages. . . . . . . . . . .