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An unfortunately sporadic rhythm obscures the message of this heartfelt book.
A free-spinning whimsical re-telling of the Biblical classic, Zacchaeus.
A poignant message for our time in playful rhyme and verse.
The engaging illustrations set the tone for a delightful reading experience for the entire family!
Dedicated to children everywhere
The story of Zacchaeus I’d like to share
Within these pages the story is told
Of a man named Zacchaeus, a mean man of old
An exciting retelling of how Zacchaeus met
A pilgrim named Jesus whom he will never forget.
I was intrigued by this when I saw the author call Zacchaeus a "clever crook". What a great word choice! A new telling of the familiar story, this book takes the reader through the tale of a wee little man and his encounter with Jesus. With gentle colors in the folksy art, this story gives a heartfelt message of repentance and redemption in the life of a former publican. This book would be one that little kids would love to flip through before bed, taking in the art of the story of Zacchaeus.
However, there is a major detraction from the book. With a children's book, especially one made for very young children, rhythm is everything. Any parent, or anyone who has experience with reading to little kids when you're half asleep at a weird time of day, knows that a really good children's book needs to be one that flows naturally. A poetic children's book needs to have good rhythm, and sadly, this book's rhythm is so sporadic that I had a very difficult time following it. Add a couple of forced rhymes, and it gets even more difficult to read. Also, there is one historical inconsistency, as well, where the author mentions the "Christian faith." The followers of Jesus were not called "Christians" until later in the Bible, in the Book of Acts. This is a minor historical issue that also detracts from the overall message of the story.
The problems with the book are a real shame, because you can tell the love that the author and the artist have for the story. The heartfelt care behind it shows, even though the rhythm of the rhyme scheme is off. But all in all, it's a story about God's love overcoming problems, and shining in the life of a man that no one else would give a chance.
Hello! I am Dakota Love, and I am an indie author, blogger, and book reviewer. I have published over forty indie titles, including "The Allies: Family and Friends", "The Guardian of Freedom", and "Coyote Stories: Legends of a Manitou." I love nothing better than to discover new stories.
A free-spinning whimsical re-telling of the Biblical classic, Zacchaeus.
A poignant message for our time in playful rhyme and verse.
The engaging illustrations set the tone for a delightful reading experience for the entire family!
Dedicated to children everywhere
The story of Zacchaeus I’d like to share
Within these pages the story is told
Of a man named Zacchaeus, a mean man of old
An exciting retelling of how Zacchaeus met
A pilgrim named Jesus whom he will never forget.
Zacchaeus was a clever crook
as we have read in the Holy Book.
His riches grew as he robbed the poor,
and still in his greed he wanted more.
In physical form, he was not tall.
The Bible says he was very small.
It seems that he was curious too f
or what the Bible ways is true.....
“Trot-trot! Clop-clop! ...the sounds grew loud,
As on came the Carpenter, the donkeys, the crowd.
And Zacchaeus was in an emotional glee
As he looked down from out of the Sycamore tree.”
(excerpt from page 10)
I spent most of my life in children’s ministry. My husband, Rev. Samuel Vernon, is now retired from full time ministry. Since retirement I have busied myself in preparing some of my many manuscripts for publication. I now reside with my husband of 65 years in Miami, Florida. view profile
Published on April 23, 2020
Published by
0-1000 words
Worked with a Reedsy professional 🏆
Genre: Picture Books
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