Moses Leads the People

Moses Leads the People is a level 2 "I Can Read!" book based upon Zondervan's popular Adventure Bible for kids. It offers a condensed version of the most famous parts of Moses' story:

Moses meets God in a burning bush. God tells him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Moses obeys, taking his brother Aaron with him as spokesman. But when they confront the Pharaoh, he won't release the Israelite slaves. So God sends the plagues. Finally the Pharaoh relents and Moses leads his people away from Egypt, with God at the head - a cloud-pillar during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Soon, the Israelites spot the Pharaoh's army chasing them. God tells Moses to part the Red Sea, and the Israelites escape. As soon as the Israelites pass, the water rushes back and covers Pharaoh's army.

What I Like: This is a nicely condensed version of the Bible story, covering all the basic facts. David Miles' illustrations are engaging and really add to the book.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: about 4 - 8.


Publishing Info: Zondervan, 2014; ISBN:  978-0310732365; paperback, 32 pgs., $3.99

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Moses' Memory Book

In Moses' Memory Book by Allia Zobel Nolan, you and your children see things from Moses' point of view. Linda Clearwater designed the scrapbook-inspired illustrations.

The book starts with God telling Moses to go to Pharaoh to tell him to let God's people go. As Pharaoh tells Moses he will, then goes back on his word, Moses shares his thoughts on how the Israelites react. When he finally leads them from Egypt, he talks about the frustrations he deals with leading 600,000 men, plus women, children, and livestock, from Egypt.

When the travelers get to the Promised Land, a group is sent in to learn about the land God gave them. Only Joshua and Caleb are confident they can defeat the giants that live there, so the Israelites decide they'd rather not go into the Promised Land. The band stays in the desert until Moses is 120 years old, and as the story ends, the Israelites are set to move into the Promised Land.

What I Like: I really like the concept of telling biblical stories from a first person perspective. Moses' Memory Book has a unique voice that brings the story of Moses to life.

Most of the cartoon illustrations have captions, enlightening the reader on what they're showing. More often than not, the captions are in Moses' "voice," with an interesting aside to the reader.

There's a glossary in back for new words for young readers. Terms like "abacus", "oy veh", and "Pharaoh" are defined.

What I Dislike: A couple of times, Moses' voice came across a bit too Valley-Girl-ish. While it's fun, it isn't believable as coming from a middle-aged man. (Would Moses really have used the term "Ewwwww!" when God turned his staff into a snake? Somehow I doubt it.)

When describing the giants who lived in the Promised Land, they're called Goliaths. While an apt description, if the writer had been historically accurate, she would have refrained from using this term, since Goliath comes from David's time, and Moses would have no knowledge of Goliath.

Nowhere in the book is there a reference to what part of the Bible the story comes from. There's a brief reference to Exodus after the glossary; however, it's only two verses.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 8 - 12

Publisher Info: Harvest House Publishers, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-7369-2543-3; Hardback 32 PGS $14.99

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Bible Guess Who?

If your child loves "pull the tab" books, he or she is sure to like Bible Guess Who?, written by Allia Zobel-Nolan and illustrated by Claudine Gevry. This sturdy board book features four rhyming lines on each page, featuring at least biblical figure. The bright illustrations cover two pages and feature die-cut holes, hiding the famous person from the Bible. When your child pulls the tab, the person appears.

For example, one page reads:

"A princess walks to the river one day
to bathe where the bulbrushes grow.
She finds a baby and his sister there.
Who are they? Do you know?"

Pulling the tab reveals baby Moses in his basket, with his sister Miriam watching nearby.

Other people included in this book are Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, baby Jesus, the angel revealing Jesus' birth to the shepherds, and the three wise men.

What I Like: The illustrations in this book are colorful and the rhyme is blessedly good. And while my nearly 5 yr. old's tastes are usually more mature, she loves knowing all the answers to the book's questions. And the pull tabs are just plain fun. My toddler also likes this book, although he can't yet pull the tabs.

What I Dislike: The tabs are a bit stiff - too stiff for even my 5 year old to pull easily. Hopefully, they'll get easier to pull with more use.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 3 - 7, but I'd say toddlers to perhaps kindergarten.

Publishing Info: Kregel, 2003; ISBN: 978-0825455087; board book, $10.99

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Special Info: Check out our reviews of other books by Allia Zobel-Nolan.

Living in Bible Times

Living in Bible Times employs colorful, detailed, architectural-style drawings to teach children about life during various biblical eras. Tim Dowley, who has a PhD in church history from the University of Manchester, begins by describing the Egyptian pyramids, (before the time of Moses), and goes on to describe the Israelite Tabernacle described in Exodus. We also learn what New Testament houses and ships would have looked like, as well as Herod's Temple, and the Theatre and Stadium in Ephesus.

The book uses short paragraphs next to pictures, paintings and drawings, in a style reminiscent of National Geographic magazines. These are interesting, but the most engaging aspect of the book is its remarkable, full-page, ink sketches on the right hand of every page. These pages are really sleeves containing more detailed, color pictures with labels. The color pictures appear as you pull the page out of the sleeve. It looks like magic, and my children and I had a hard time figuring out how the sleeves work.

The information in the text is interesting, appropriately captioned, and includes definitions (for example, when they mention cherubim, they use parentheses to explain they are "angel-like creatures"), and biblical references. There are several modern-day photographs included to give context to the ancient area described.

What I Like: The ink sketches that give way to color drawings are definitely my favorite part of this book. They include lots of fun detail, and shed new light on familiar Bible stories. I was particularly interested in the "Houses of Bible Times." I can picture many stories about Jesus better after reading about the roof structure and where families would have had their meals. My children also loved the "magical" drawings, but we had to take turns pulling the pages out of the sleeves!

I also liked the way Dowley included Scripture references within the text. Readers would need to look up the verses on their own, but Dowley cites many stories specifically.

The book is bright and each page includes four or five small pictures or photographs. These pictures are captioned, and kept my children interested.

What I Dislike: The only complaint I have is the book is a bit long and wordy. It takes a long time to read through all the information, even though there are only six pages of text. (The book is 9"x 11.")

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Candle Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-85985-664-2; Hardcover, $14.99

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Let My People Go!

Let My People GO!, written by Tilda Balsley, offers Moses' familiar story with an interactive twist. It covers the burning bush, God's call to Moses, and all ten plagues.

Written as a Readers Theater script, the book is great for use in "family Seders, library story time, and classroom dramatizations." The text provides five roles -- Narrator, Moses, Pharaoh, Egyptians, and Chorus -- each designated by a specific colored type. The narrator, for example, read the black type while the Moses character reads the purple.

Full-page illustrations by Ilene Richard fill the book with bold colors and simple, outline characters.

What I Like: The interactive format is wonderful. My kids (ages 4 and 6) really like this book! They enjoy reading the repetitive lines and shouting out specific parts. It's a good choice for beginning readers. I like that the book actually describes each of the ten plagues and includes Pharaoh's lies as part of the story. Many children's books only include a few of the plagues and rarely mention Pharaoh's deceptive tricks.

What I Dislike: The illustrations are not to my liking, but my kids didn't seem to mind them. I wish the author or publisher had included biblical references for further study and fact verification.

More importantly, the rhyme and meter are inconsistent. As a result, readers must often compensate by altering emphasized syllables. For example, I had to read Phar-AOH instead of PHAR-aoh.

Finally, the book marketing is misleading. It is advertized as a tool for Passover, but the text barely mentions the Passover. It simply says "... sons of Israel, I will spare. So listen now, you must prepare." It doesn't detail what the preparations were and no other mention is made. Furthermore, the back cover says the "rhyming tale takes readers through the Ten Plagues and the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt." Unfortunately, the book ends before the Jews even pack their bags. The zenith of the Exodus is the parting of the Red Sea, but it's not included in this book.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Kar-Ben Publishing, 2008; ISBN: 0822572419; Paperback; $7.95

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Son of Samson and the Heroes of God

Son of Samson and the Heroes of God is Volume 6 out of the eight graphic novels in the series written by Gary Martin.

Samson’s son, Branan, continues his family legacy by battling the Philistines. God is always with him throughout his trials and battles and often sends unusual allies. This story begins as Branan travels through the desert, on his way to return the Serpent Staff of Moses to the Tabernacle at Shiloh.

He meets two seemingly friendly men who warn him of dangerous lions in the area. They make camp for the night and when Branan awakens, he is alone and all of his belongings have been stolen, including the Serpent Staff! He stumbles across the desert with no food or water, but bravely frees a lion from a trap after asking for God’s protection. He survives a dust storm and is on the brink of collapse when the freed lion comes back and drags him to water.

Thus restored, he quietly enters the camp of the Philistine army. After finding food, he eavesdrops on Lord Pathrus and discovers a plot to steal the Ark of the Covenant. Before he can reclaim his camel and the Serpent Staff, he is caught by the Philistine guards. Once again, the lion returns to create a distraction, and Branan escapes.

When he reaches the priests at Shiloh, they’re ecstatic to receive the Serpent Staff. However, the Shechem raid diverted all the warriors so there is no one left to defend the Tabernacle but Branan. The priests give Branan the honor of entering the Tent of the Holy Tabernacle to replace the staff. Branan praises God for strength and protection and asks for help in the coming battle. When he rises, two mighty warriors stand before him. They are Raphael and Uriel, and they outfit him with armor and provide him with the Ark’s carrying pole as a weapon.

The Philistines begin the battle by asking for immediate surrender. Branan refuses and as the army attacks, they are thwarted by what can only be divine intervention. There are many close-up illustrations of the clashing battle, and thousands of soldiers are scattered like chaff in the wind. Lord Pathrus must conclude that God has won. Branan is surprised when the priests tell him he defeated 3000 men single-handedly.

What I Like: The story by Gary Martin and the art by Sergio Cariello are well-done. The author and illustrator know how to make a good graphic novel; they’ve both worked for the major comic book companies. The artwork is in black and white, and there’s no gore, just lots of action! The book contains many historical facts, including a map of Palestine in 1060 B.C. and there is additional information about the Ark of the Covenant.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: Age 11 to 13, although my younger boys enjoyed the macho, heroic illustrations.

Publisher Info:Zondervan, 2009; ISBN: 978-0310712848 ; Paperback $6.99

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Duck's Loud Quack

Duck is, well...a loud mouth. And he's always getting into trouble for sticking his beak where it doesn't belong. But in Duck's Loud Quack, one day when he splashes into the water and pushes his long beak through the reeds, discovering a baby in a basket. Duck feels sad. "Where was its mum?" When Duck hears footsteps, he can't help himself: "Quack! Quack! Quack!" he cries.

A princess walks up and sees the baby, loving him right away. "Thank you, Duck," she says.

"The princess took the baby home to her palace. Duck waddled behind...Perhaps there was room for him, too!"

The baby, the author Tim Dowley concludes, was baby Moses, who became a prince in Egypt. "You can read more about Moses in your Bible in Exodus 2:1-10."

Throughout, Steve Smallman's illustrations are fun, expression-filled, and perfect for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

What I Like: This is such a simple and effective story for young children. Not only do we get a glimpse of the biblical story of baby Moses, but we learn that God can use even a nosy duck to set his plans into motion.

What I Dislike: Nothing, but some parents may object to the fictional elements in this story.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Baby - preschool.

Publishing Info: Candle Books, 2005; ISBN: 9978-0825472992; board book, $5.99

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Hear Me Read: Hide the Baby (The Birth of Moses)

Hear Me Read: Hide the Baby (The Birth of Moses) is written by Mary Manz Simon and illustrated by Dennis Jones. This clever book uses only 16 words to tell the beloved story of Moses' birth. We've read this book so many times already that my three year old knows it by heart.

This is an excellent book for early readers. It uses the following words: a, of, oh, are, God, the, you, baby, care, hide, hush, take, will, sleep, coming, soldiers. I like to point to each word as I read the story to my daughter so she will learn the sight words and be able to recognize them elsewhere.

The text is repetitive, and has a nice rhythm when read aloud:

"Oh, a baby.

Hush, baby, hush.

Sleep, baby, sleep.

God will take care of you."

The story is told as much through the vivid illustrations as it is through the text. It may be nice to talk about the story in more detail with your child after reading this book. As the soldiers are coming, and baby Moses is being placed into the water, and even as the princess is comforting the crying Moses, your child will see that God was still in control and caring for Moses.

What I Like: I really like the way the text and the illustrations work together. Because this book uses only 16 words, it can't go into too much detail, so the illustrations work in this capacity. As you may have realized after reading my word list, the word "Moses" is never used. Without my extra explanation, my daughter wouldn't have realized that this was the story of Moses, but this doesn't make me like the book any less.

What I Dislike: Nothing to dislike in this book as an early reader. Children will be so excited that they can read through the entire book.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 4-8, but a younger child learning to read will also enjoy this book.

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 1991; ISBN:0570047021 ; Paperback $2.39.

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Special Info: Here is another book we've reviewed by Mary Manz Simon.

The Real Story of Exodus

Dr. Paul L. Maier is a professor of ancient history and has written many books, including a best seller for adults. But it's his books for children I most admire. In The Real Story of Exodus, the conclusion of his trilogy about Old Testament times, he delivers what I've come to expect from him: An accurate and interesting story for kids that's solidly biblical.

The book begins with a brief summary of what happened after the great flood, and why God's people were looking forward to the Promised Land. Then Maier retells the story of Moses, beginning with his dangerous beginning in the Nile River, to his awe-inspiring encounter with God and a burning bush, to his hesitant obedience to God when he approached the Pharaoh, to the first Passover, to the parting of the Red Sea, to his relieving of the Ten Commandments, to the building of the portable tabernacle, to his death on the edge of the Promised Land.

"So ended the life of one of the greatest men in history. Although only one man, Moses had filled the roles of eight! Not only was he the leader of the Israelites, he was also their liberator, lawgiver, high priest, military general, strategist, judge, and representative before God. No one else could have accomplished all this, because, of course, it was God who made the entire exodus possible."

The book's epilogue reminds us that only Jesus Christ can truly save those who are wandering the earth in their sin.

What I Like: I appreciate that the book is broken down into one-page chapters, so even kids with shorter attention spans can enjoy this story, bit by bit. As always, Maier adds interesting historical details and often uses a writing style that sounds like a grandparent spinning a yarn for his children. The illustrations by Gerad Taylor add immensely to this book. They are rich in color and light, and offer plenty of details to interest children.

What I Dislike: Maier's writing style isn't the most modern; sometimes it's a bit wordy. Still, this doesn't make my four year old less interested in his books.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 9 - 12, but my 4 year old enjoys it.

Publishing Info: Concordia, 2009; ISBN: 978-0758612687; hard back, $16.99.

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Special Info: Read our other reviews of books by Paul L. Maier.

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The Moses Basket

The Moses Basket, written by Jenny Koralek and illustrated by Pauline Baynes, relates the story of how baby Moses was saved by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter.

The Pharaoh declared that all Hebrew babies be put to death. To save Moses’ life, his mother, with the help of her daughter Mariam, hide him in a basket and float him down the river. They time it so the Pharaoh’s daughter will find the basket when she comes to the river to bathe. When she sees baby Moses sleeping in the basket, she realizes he is the child of a Hebrew slave, but she doesn’t take the baby to her father so he can be slain. Instead, as the story goes, she ends up paying Moses’ mother to feed him and care for him for a few years before he goes to live in the Pharaoh’s palace!

The story references the Scriptures, citing passages from the book of Exodus at the beginning of the book.

The illustrations are what you would expect for a story set in Egypt during Biblical times. They are what I would call classical illustrations for a story of this nature, done in muted tones with the well-known Egyptian persona and motifs throughout.

What I Like: The story is told with a lot of conversation between the characters. It brings the story to life; I like that.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The publisher suggests an age level of baby-preschool. I don’t think this book is suitable for babies. Preschoolers would probably enjoy it, as would children in the elementary grades, so I would say the age range is from 3-8.

Publisher Info: Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers: 2003; 0802852513; Hardcover: $16.00.

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books written by Jenny Koralek and illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

Miriam and Her Brother Moses

Jean Marzollo is an award winning author and illustrator who has written over 100 books. Miriam and Her Brother Moses, is the second book that she wrote and illustrated for children. This picture book is packed with interesting facts that are coupled with expressive pictures that will intrigue your child.

In this book, you will be delighted to find the story of Miriam and her part in the well-known story of Moses, as well as historical background information (written for a child to understand), and little thoughts to think about. Since Miriam sang as an adult in the Bible, Marzollo wrote songs that the child Miriam may have sung. Your child can sing them too, to the tunes of either "You are My Sunshine," or "Hava Nagila." At the bottom of each page spread, there are little fish who hold a running dialogue about the story:

"Does this mean Moses is safe? Yes. Does this mean he was rescued by someone who was taught to hate Hebrews? Yes!"

What I Like: This book is replete with "attention getters." I like the simplicity of the illustrations, and the friendly, almost storytelling tone of the text.

What I Dislike: Some parts of this book are very factual, but there are other parts that are fictional. There is no distinction made between the two. I tend to shy away from stories that take liberties with the Scripture, but I still think this book is a gem. I would explain to my child that these are things that may have happened.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publishing Info: Little, Brown and Company, 2004; ISBN:0316741310; Hardback, $15.95.

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Special Info: Check out our review of another book written and illustrated by Jean Marzollo here.

You can find the author's website here.

Moses' Big Adventure

Moses' Big Adventure is a "Lift-the-Flap Bible Book" written by Allia Zobel-Nolan and illustrated by Steve Cox. This sturdy boardbook tells the life of Moses in five sections: Moses in the basket; the burning bush; the plagues in Egypt; the parting of the Red Sea; the deliverance of the Ten Commandments. Each "chapter" is told through four short lines of rhyming verse. Children are then asked to "find five ..." animals (turtles, mice, cats, crabs or lizards) behind the flaps. The book contains more than 45 flaps for interactive exploration.

The illustrations are vibrant and inviting. Some of the Biblical story is actually told through the illustrations rather than the text. For example, not all ten plagues are mentioned in the text, but readers can find the hail and darkness under one of the larger flaps on that page.

What I Like: Kids can't put it down! This book teaches the life of Moses with attractive illustrations, bright colors and interactive flaps. It also teaches counting and object permanence. References are included on each page for further study in your children's Bible. I also like that the flaps are not all the same size. Some are quite large and, when opened, extend outside the book.

What I Dislike: The rhyme isn't quite perfect in some spots. Also, the story is accurate, but it leaves some questions curious preschoolers will definitely ask. For example, if Moses was adopted by a princess, why was he living in the desert? If the king (Pharaoh) let them go, why are his soldiers chasing them in the picture?

Overall Rating: Very Good!

Age Appeal: 3 and up, but my 2 year old LOVES this book!

Publisher Info: Kregel KidZone, 2004; ISBN: 0825455219; Boardbook; $10.99

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Special Info: You can also purchase this book in Spanish through Christianbook.com. See our reviews of other books by this same author.

Moses in the Bulrushes

Moses in the Bulrushes, retold by Heather Amery and illustrated by Norman Young, tells the classic Bible story of baby Moses being saved from death by the Egyptians.

The book is one in a series from Usborne Publishing called the Bible Tales Readers. Written for young children and early readers, the text on the pages is set up in two parts: A short sentence at the top of the page describes what’s on the page; a longer sentence, or two sentences, at the bottom of the page, explains the idea more fully.

For instance: The sentence at the top of the first page reads: “This is baby Moses.” The sentences at the bottom of the page read: “He is just three months old. He was born in Egypt a very long time ago.”

Delightful watercolor illustrations fill each page. The pictures are true-to-life in detail and historical accuracy.

What I Like: Pretty much everything.

What I Dislike: The story of Moses being rescued by the Egyptian Princess comes from the book of Exodus. This fact is not mentioned anywhere in the book, even though these are called Bible Tales Readers.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Ages 4 and up.

Publisher Info: Usborne Publishing Ltd, 2003; ISBN: 0746054319; Paperback: $7.86.

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Special Info: Other books in the series include: Jonah and the Whale, Easter Story, Daniel and the Lions, Christmas Story, and First Stories from the Bible.