April 2, 2008 11:56 AM
Evaluating children's books about Jesus
There are a lot of books about Jesus out there. But just because they're about Jesus doesn't mean they're about Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God. Sometimes, they are about Jesus as a great teacher or The Light of the World.
I recently received a question from a reader about this new book about Jesus:
I just ran across this book [The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children] in my daughter's book of the month club. I was wondering if you or any of your readers have seen it and what you think. So many times I see interpretations of scripture that are way off. The concept looks wonderful, but I don't want to purchase it and then be sorry.
Thanks for your time!
Joani
Hi Joani -
I've reviewed the book. It has a lot going for it - a fresh perspective, well-chosen words and lovely, winsome pictures. But somehow I kept feeling that the text, though simple, was a little off. I couldn't find anything specific, except that at the Last Supper, Jesus said "This bread is like my body." and "The wine is like my blood" rather than the actual words he used: "This is my body" and "This is my blood."
The author is a Newbery Medalist - as proclaimed on the cover of the Jesus book. I tend to be suspicious of authors who get Newbery awards nowadays. Like the Academy Awards, the Newberys - in my opinion - have become tarnished. They represent a worldview much different today than when we were growing up. I looked up the books which earned Katherine Paterson her Newberys: A Bridge to Terabitihia and Jacob I Have Loved. My daughters have read the first and though they enjoyed it as fantasy the found it didn't dovetail with our spiritual beliefs. The reviews of Jacob I read at Amazon resounded with many not-so-uplifting themes of modern teen literature - much of it pushed by Scholastic 9the publisher of Light of the World)in their school-distributed circulars.
Finally, I gave the book to my husband to read. He said that as beautiful as the illustrations were, he would not use it with our kids as its portrayal of Jesus was ambiguous: he seemed to be represented more as a teacher than as The Son of God.
And then I realized that that's what I was feeling when I read it too. A writer's worldview comes bubbling up through the printed word somehow so even though things aren't directly stated, you know who is doing the talking. C. S. Lewis wrote books about Narnia, a fantasy kingdom, and yet his Christian views are easy to see.
Scholastic is no longer a reliable source for books, I'm afraid to say. You have to be very careful when making purchases. Thanks for trusting me as a source of advice. Some of my readers may have no problem with the ambiguous portrayal of Christ - I just think we all need to be alert and aware of the subtexts of the books we read our children. I hope this helps you make an informed decision.
Posted in Books, Preschoolers, Spiritual education, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
Barbara,
Thank you so much!! That is definitely not the picture I want to present to my daughter of Jesus. I want her to know exactly who He is and what He has done for her. I'm so glad I contacted you first!
Thanks again!
Joani
Posted by: Joani | April 2, 2008 1:45 PM
I reviewed this book over at Christian Children's Book Review (which, if I may say so myself, is a great resource for reviews of Christian children's picture books!). I agree with Barbara.
Nowhere does the author say Jesus was the Son of God. Instead, she writes that an angel says, "He will be great. Indeed, he will be called the Son of God." (Emphasis mine.) It's a subtle flaw, but an important one. Also, I would have liked a stronger acknowledgment that Christ lives today.
There are certainly other, better, books out there for children.
Posted by: Kristina | April 2, 2008 1:52 PM
I can see not wanting to have a book around that refuses to acknowledge Jesus' divinity.
But I read Jacob, Have I Loved many, many times in junior high and high school and always loved the book. Especially the ending. I always felt it had an overall positive message, even if the tone is at times dismal. The main character comes out in the end as a good person making good choices despite her trials.
Posted by: Emily C | April 2, 2008 3:33 PM
