In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel like I need to tell you that the author, Kevin Jones, and I are friends. We met as teenagers at church camp and have kept in touch some over the years. Facebook recently reconnected us.The first thing you notice about A Lamb Named Ewe is the adorable illustrations. The pictures were an instant hit with my kindergarten daughter, who is a beginning reader. She must have "read" through the book ten times on her own before I got the chance to read it to her. The brightly colored illustrations really drew her in, as did the emotional, animated faces of the title character.
The minute I saw the cover, I knew what the book was going to be about. Ewe and the Good Shepherd; You and God.
Ewe is a slightly mischievous little gal who's curious about the world. She's cute as a bug, adventurous, and like the rest of us, Ewe doesn't always listen and sometimes ends up in big trouble. Like the time she almost falls off a cliff, or gets too close to a beehive.
The Good Shepherd is always there to help her out, to get her back on the right path with a tug or a gentle reminder. When Ewe ends up in more serious trouble, it's no surprise when the shepherd saves her again.
But then, that's kind of the point: No surprises. It's an allegory, representing the relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. You and the One who loves you so much that when you finally come back to Him, He throws a feast. Me and the God Who Does Not Change.
Much of the text is taken from the shepherd stories of the Bible. My seven year old picked up on that right away. After reading the book, he excitedly told me, "It's like a Bible story, Mom!" Being familiar with the stories, he made the connection almost instantly.
Kevin wrote this book for his kids while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The pages cover the things he wanted to make sure his kids got right. Things like the importance of obedience, being able to trust God, and just how much God loves each of us. He makes it very clear that the Shepherd does what he says he'll do.
These are the things I want my children to know as well. They're the things all Christian parents want their kids to know. They're things that make this book worth reading.
You can buy this book here for $8.99 or at Barnes and Noble for $8.54.
But then, that's kind of the point: No surprises. It's an allegory, representing the relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. You and the One who loves you so much that when you finally come back to Him, He throws a feast. Me and the God Who Does Not Change.
Much of the text is taken from the shepherd stories of the Bible. My seven year old picked up on that right away. After reading the book, he excitedly told me, "It's like a Bible story, Mom!" Being familiar with the stories, he made the connection almost instantly.
Kevin wrote this book for his kids while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The pages cover the things he wanted to make sure his kids got right. Things like the importance of obedience, being able to trust God, and just how much God loves each of us. He makes it very clear that the Shepherd does what he says he'll do.
These are the things I want my children to know as well. They're the things all Christian parents want their kids to know. They're things that make this book worth reading.
You can buy this book here for $8.99 or at Barnes and Noble for $8.54.
That's a cool background for the story. There are quite a few things I want my kids to get right in this life, but I don't think i've written them down or even made a mental list. I will have to look for this title.
ReplyDeleteyes, do more book reviews. :)