Kingdoms: Valley of Dry Bones

Kingdoms: Valley of Dry Bones written by Ben Avery, tells the Biblical story from books of Kings I and II and Chronicles I and II, which feature the Ezekiel and Iddo. Ezekiel was a prophet who predicted the destruction of Solomon’s temple by the Babylonians, and Iddo who was the chief of one of the Hebrew tribes and also a friend of Ezekiel.
The time frame for the story is the period from the Hebrews’ exile from Babylon and their later return to the city. The story illustrates the Hebrews’ attitudes towards God and their resentment of Ezekiel’s prophecies. Iddo maintains his faith in God and his relationship with Ezekiel, which causes problems at home with his family.
The book is written as a graphic novel, so the black and white illustrations, by Gary Shipman, are central to the story. They are expressive, but rather dark in nature, as befits a story of this nature.
What I Like: Although I’m not a big fan of graphic novels, as I’d rather have the words create the pictures for me. But, I’m glad there are books like this out there for people who enjoy them, particularly when they are Bible-related. This might encourage some otherwise reluctant readers to read books like this to learn more about the Bible.
What I Dislike: Although the illustrations are well-done, they were a bit dark for my taste. I’m not a big fan of graphic novels, anyway, so it was difficult for me to appreciate the storyline when I didn’t really like the illustrations. But, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them; someone else might appreciate them more.
Overall Rating: Good.
Age Appeal: Young adult.
Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2008; ISBN: 9780310713562; Paperback, 160 pages, $6.99.
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Special Info: This is book #4 in the publisher’s Kingdom series. Because this is the fourth book in the series, its storyline will probably be more meaningful if books 1-3 were read first. All the books in the series are graphic novels.
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