It's good to be reminded how special we are, how much God loves us. The story, A Parable about the King, written by Beth Moore and illustrated by Beverly Warren, does just that.
This is a story about a princess who runs away because she doesn’t want to clean her room. She has servants to the do the work for her, so why should she have to do it herself? To teach everyone a lesson, she sneaks out a secret palace door. She soon finds a group of peasant children playing in the streets. She decides to join them and pretend she is “one of them.” She tries to do and say what they do and say, but because she is a child of a King, she discovers she doesn’t fit in with them. Humiliated and dirty, she runs back to the palace, only to find the secret door locked. Her only way back in is through the front door. When she knocks on the door, her father answers. She throws herself at his feet and begs forgiveness. The King simply pulls her into his arms and says:
“You may have acted like them, but you are not one of them. You are mine, and you will never be happy until you accept both the privilege and responsibility that goes with belonging to me.”
Before the princess goes to bed that night, the King tells her:
“. . . I will open the door every time you knock and I will always love you.”
This story illustrates, in a simple, yet beautiful way, God’s love for us. If we rebel and try to be like “the crowd,” as long as we repent, we will be forgiven. And, if we are children of God, then we are also children of the King.
The life-like illustrations, done in pastels, blend beautifully with the text. They are soft and gentle and inviting, as is the story of the princess and her father. Most of the pictures cover one page, with the text, and a repeating border, on the facing page.
What I Like: Everything but the opening line.
What I Dislike: The book starts out with the words, Once upon a time. That makes this story sound like a fairy tale, which it most certainly is not. The correlation between the princess’ father, the King, and God the King, are unmistakable. The Bible reference of Matthew 25:34, given at the end of the book, confirms the Biblical connection to the text.
Overall Rating: If it weren’t for the opening line, I would rate this book as Excellent, but I have to give it only a Very Good rating because of it.
Age Appeal: Recommended for ages 5 and up.
Publisher Info: B & H Publishing Group, 2003; ISBN: 0805426795; Hardcover: $12.99.
Special Info: Visit the author’s website.
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