Jesus Saves the World

If you have an emerging reader, you'll definitely want to take a look at Zonderkidz's latest offerings in "I Can Read!" books, including Jesus Saves the World.
"I Can Read!" books were first published in 1957 and feature a scale of difficulty from "shared reading" to "advanced reading." Following this traditional example, Jesus Saves the World falls into the "shared reading" category, and is ideal for children just learning to read, but who need parental help.
With colorful, cartoon-like illustrations by Kelly Pulley (based on the popular The Beginner's Bible books) this volume briefly covers the life of Jesus. It begins with a quick review of his birth and childhood, then moves on to his baptism. We then read that

"Jesus went to work. He told people all about God. Jesus told his friends about God, too. Jesus' friends helped tell other about God's love."

We also learn about some of Jesus' miracles, like the calming of the storm and the healing the sick and blind. Then some people capture Jesus, and Jesus says he is ready to give his life to save people from their sins. They nail Jesus to a cross, he is buried...and then rises from the dead. The book ends: "Then it was time for Jesus to go to heaven. But he will come back one day!"
What I Like: I'm thrilled to find "I Can Read!" books based on the Bible. Although cartoonish illustrations aren't my favorite, my daughter really likes them; she's already a big fan of The Beginner Bible books. Just don't expect this thin book (32 pages) to be a good introduction to the life of Jesus. It's designed to recap his story for children already familiar with his life.
What I Dislike: Nothing.
Overall Rating: Very good.
Age Appeal: About 4 - 8.
Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310715539; paperback; $3.99
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