Book One: In the Garden of Eden. Danny opens the book by introducing himself. Then he talks about his great grandfather, Big D, and the Garden of Eden. Danny sums up most of the creation story by stating “God made everything we see in just six days,” and that God made Big D “just to show how awesome He was.”
We then see the world through Big D’s eyes. We see Adam and Eve in the garden with only one direction: They could eat the fruit from all of the trees there, except for one tree in the middle of the garden.
Adam and Eve play with Big D, climbing on his neck and taking rides around the garden. And then the snake comes and tempts Eve to disobey God. She eats the forbidden fruit, and so does Adam. Then they cover themselves with fig leaves until a fateful conversation with God, which results in their banishment from the garden.
The book closes with a quick explanation of God’s plan to fix the problem of sin by sending his son to pay the price for all of man’s sins. In addition, Danny gives the reader a glimpse into book two.
Book Two: The Big Boat This story picks up years after the first book, where mankind has multiplied but are wicked and sinful. Danny’s great grandfather, Big D, spots Noah building a big boat and wonders why. He soon learns from an owl that mankind has followed the way of Cain, and that because of this, God plans on destroying them in a flood. The book then takes a side trip to tell about the story of Cain and Abel. (This also entails a quick reference to the Garden of Eden.)
Big D helps Noah build the ark, then watches as animals board it. Once the door is shut on leering spectators, the rains come. Everyone on the boat is safe. The story ends with Noah and his family still on the boat. The remaining pages provide a short plan of salvation for the reader and a sneak peek at book three… where we find out what happens after the flood.
What I Like: Although somewhat heavy-handed (and at the same time perhaps underdeveloped), I appreciate the author addressing faith in Christ. It is evident he has a heart to reach children with the message of salvation.
What I Dislike: Yes, I know this is a fictional tale, but it mixes the Biblical account into it. In so doing, the author takes some liberties with Scripture. For example, he speculates on what Adam and Eve saw and which animals they interacted with (including the dinosaur). When Noah builds his boat, Big D helps him pull trees and lift wood. The animals are also given human-like qualities and thought processes.
One annoying feature of the text is the way the author stretches out some of the words. Words like long, great, so, tall, and amazing become l-o-o-o-n-g, g-r-e-a-a-a-t, s-o-o-o-o, t-a-a-a-l-l-l and a-m-a-a-a-z-i-n-g.
Finally, I wish the author had picked a different name for the dinosaur. “Danny”, for me, is too reminiscent of Sid Hoff’s classic children’s book Danny and the Dinosaur.
Overall Rating: Good
Age Appeal: It's listed for ages 3 and up, but I think the text is too long and mature for 3 year olds. I suggest ages 4-8.
Publisher Info: Bridge Logos Pub, 2010 (book one) 2011 (book two); ISBN:978-0882709116(book one), 9781584680741 (book two); Paperback, 25 pgs., $5.95
Buy Book One Now at Christianbook.com for $5.49
OR Buy Book Two at Christianbook.com for $54.49
OR Buy Book One at Amazon.com for $5.95.
Special Info: God is depicted in the first book. Although his face is not shown (a burst of light beams stemming from where a face should be cloaks His features), a humanoid-shaped body is visible. Also, the book provides a website at www.drdino.com. However, when I went to this site, I didn’t find anything geared for children. Instead, it has products, articles and videos for adults interested in creation. If children expect to see something related to Danny, they will be disappointed.
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