The Day the World Went Wacky

The Day the World Went Wacky, by Janine Suter, is a retelling of the Garden of Eden and the Fall. The story is told in first person rhyme, with the storyteller wondering if God made pain? The illustrations by Ruchard Gunther are detailed and cartoonlike.

After the young boy in the book wonders why bad things happen, he says:

"That night at my house, I had quite enough.
I reached for my Bible to find out some stuff.
I opened the cover to search for a clue,
And there was the answer. I'll tell it to you."

The book goes on to relate how sin came into the world, and hints at the end of the coming of a Savior. I like this paragraph:

"Then out of that skin and that animal hair
God made the two of them something to wear.
(Animals can't really pay for our sin,
But Jesus' blood can, and this pointed to Him)."

The end of the book points young people to Christ, and tells them that we need to trust Jesus to have our sins forgiven.

What I Like: When I first looked at this book, I expected that it would take liberties with the Bible story. But it is Biblically accurate. I commend the author for staying true to the story. I also like the strong and clear gospel message.

What I Dislike: The opening of this book is a little scary. It portrays a very frightening trip to the dentist, depicted in words and pictures. I'm a little reluctant to show it to my three year old daughter, who hasn't had her first trip yet! The illustrations may be a little "too much" for some, but they are very imaginative. If you are not into cartoons and humor with Bible stories, this book may not be for you. For example, to cover his nakedness on one of the pages, Adam holds a tennis racket in front of him.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: New Leaf Publishing Group/Master Books, 2009; ISBN:0890515751 ; Hardcover $9.99.

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Special Info: Click here to see our review of another of Janine Suter's books.