The Life of Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Bible quotes frame each page
Review: With surprisingly little preaching, this biographical picture book story of the life of Jesus Christ presents the chronological account of all the major events of his life and ministry. Fourteen chapters, an introduction and index take an instructional, scholarly approach to teaching children age eight and up. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated, clearly outlined, and presented in an easy-to-read narrative. Bible quotes frame each page, and corresponding New Testament chapters are listed following each story, to encourage further reading. In all, 26 stories are covered, including Jesus' birth in a manger, the sermon on the mount, the feeding of five thousand, calming of the storm, the parable of the good Samaritan, the Lord's supper, the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The final "People of the Bible" chapter gives a one-paragraph biography of 27 people who appear in the New Testament and are featured in the story of Jesus. Unlike most authoritative non-fiction books published by Dorling Kindersley Publishing - including their "Eyewitness Books" series with titles on Christianity and Judaism -- this book presents religious beliefs as fact, never questioning the authenticity of such mystical issues as healing the dying, turning water into wine, and so on, thereby treading a fine line between fact and faith. The book's no-nonsense approach, however, is refreshing, and its over-sized format is impressive, making it attractive to Christian families as well as young non-Christians studying comparative religions.