A Big Day for Jack, written by Marilyn Schuler, is the story of a donkey. But, Jack isn’t
just any donkey; he’s a very special donkey. He’s the one chosen to carry Jesus
into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
Like most donkeys, Jack is stubborn. But he is also
disobedient and destructive. He doesn’t like to behave. He wants to play all
day, go to bed whenever he feels like it, never obey, and never be gentle or
helpful.
One day, a few minutes after Jack has once again rebelled, two
men approach Jack and lead him away by his halter. Although he doesn’t really
resist, he makes up his mind he won’t cooperate with whatever these two have planned.
The two men lead him to a place where a group of people are
gathering. When they put a blanket on his back, he shies away. But, then Jesus
approaches Jack and places his hand on Jack’s back. Jack can feel how gentle
and loving Jesus is. Jesus tells Jack that Jack is needed to fulfill a prophecy
about a king riding a donkey. Jack says he doesn’t want to help. Jesus tells
Jack that he has seen Jack when he was misbehaving. Jesus goes on to tell Jack
that he needs Jack to cooperate, because “I love you and have a special purpose
for your life.”
Although Jack is still unsure what to do, he can tell that
Jesus is sincere. Jesus has seen Jack misbehave and Jesus loves him anyway.
Jack calms down and Jesus climbs onto his back. As they walk
through the gates of Jerusalem, the
crowds grow bigger. People spread their coats on the road for Jack to walk
over. Others wave palm branches and laid them on the road, too. Jack no longer
felt like rebelling. He feels like he is part of something special, that he
really was chosen for a special purpose. When Jesus eventually dismounts, he
pats Jack on the back, thanks him for his cooperation, and tells him to be
good.
Then the two men lead Jack back to his mother. She wants to
know everything that happened. He tells her, “Oh, Mother. I met a king who
knows everything about me and still chose me to ride on in the parade. He wants
me to be good. I think I will, for Him.”
The watercolor
illustrations by Samantha Kickingbird are expressive and work well with the
text.
The
author uses these verses as a reference for the story: “Matthew 21:1-11 and John
12:12-15.
What I
Like: Everything.
What I
Dislike: Nothing.
Overall
Rating: Excellent.
Age
Appeal: 4-8.
Publisher Info: Tate Publishing, 2011; ISBN: 9781617775956;
Paperback, $8.99.
Or buy at Amazon.com $5.67.
Buy the Kindle edition for $5.39.
Special
Info: This book comes with a free audio download. Information on where and how
to download can be found on the last page.
No comments:
Post a Comment