70. [Board book] The Prodigal Son. Retold by Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gabriella Galvez. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, bible stories]
First sentence: In a town near Jerusalem, Jesus sits down to share his evening meal. Some people called Pharisees pass by. They think they're better than everyone else.
Russell Punter has retold the parable of the Prodigal Son for young children. (To read the Scripture go to Luke 15.) The story features many elaborations adding details not found in Scripture. These descriptions certainly make for a story, but is it THE story? Maybe. Maybe not. While adding his own elaborations, he fails to include some of the details found in Scripture. Perhaps reasoning that these are cultural considerations that might take a bit too much time to explain? The Bible does NOT give a lot of details about HOW the son spent his money, yet, people do love to elaborate and imagine all sorts of things. Which is fine so long as you keep in mind that it is speculation and imagination.
One thing I did dislike was how the book concludes with this little paragraph
Who was Jesus? Jesus Christ was born in a town called Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago to Jewish parents, Mary and Joseph. For Christians, Jesus is also the Son of God. When Jesus grew up, he went from place to place teaching people about God and asking them to love one another.
Not exactly the best answer to the question of WHO Jesus is. It is unsatisfactory.
71. [Board book] The Good Samaritan. Retold by Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gabriella Galvez. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book, bible stories]
First sentence: It is a hot day in a dusty town square. Jesus is teaching people about God. Then a man in the crowd asks a question...What must I do to live forever?
Russell Punter has retold the parable of The Good Samaritan for young children. (To read the Scripture go to Luke 10). The story features many elaborations adding details not found in Scripture. These descriptions certainly make for a story, but is it THE story? Maybe. Maybe not.
Parables in Scripture are rarely--if ever--fleshed out with elaborate details and vivid descriptions. Punter has speculated, imagined, crafted a story that builds upon the parable found in Scripture. But it goes a long way past Scripture. It provides motivations for the actions of the priest and the Levite. Motivations that are absolutely not spelled out in Scripture. Punter's imaginative story perhaps contrasts how others have told the story. For example, the reason given in Punter's board book is that the Priest and the Levite were scared of robbers and wanting to avoid getting caught up in any traps. I believe the more traditional interpretation is that they were afraid of becoming unclean, of coming into contact with the dead or the dying. Though to be fair--the REASONS why the Priest and the Levite did NOT stop are never clearly given. So there could be multiple interpretations of what *might* be plausible. When speculations become the main part of a Bible story retelling, perhaps there is some risk that the details will become "fixed" in young minds as being part of the Bible story itself.
One thing I did dislike was how the book concludes with this little paragraph
Who was Jesus? Jesus Christ was born in a town called Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago to Jewish parents, Mary and Joseph. For Christians, Jesus is also the Son of God. When Jesus grew up, he went from place to place teaching people about God and asking them to love one another.
Not exactly the best answer to the question of WHO Jesus is. It is unsatisfactory.
72. [Board book] David and Goliath. Russell Punter. Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali. 2025. 24 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, bible stories]
First sentence: Long ago, in Israel, a boy stands alone on a hillside, watching his father's sheep. David is young, but VERY brave. He scares off hungry lions...and cares for all his sheep. One day his father gives him a bag of good.
Russell Punter retells the story of David and Goliath for young readers. (To read it in the Scriptures, read 1 Samuel 17). This story in Scripture has plenty of details so there is less room to elaborate. I do think David is presented a little too young in the text and illustrations. But the story itself seems good.
I enjoyed all three board books. The David and Goliath book is probably my favorite of the three. (The others being The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan).
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