Whitney Sews Joseph's Many Colored Coat

Jealousy is a powerful emotion. Learning to deal with it in a God-honoring way can be difficult for children. But in Whitney Sews Joseph's Many-Colored Coat, written by Therese Johnson Borchard and illustrated by Wendy VanNest, kids get a powerful lesson.

Whitney and her classmates have had enough of teacher's pet Natalie, so they cook up a scheme to put her in her place, hiding a spider in her lunch. As the teacher seeks to find out who the pranksters are, the girls feel bad and try to decide what to do. It's then Whitney turns to her Nana's Bible to see what God says about jealousy. She "time travels" into the story of Old Testament Joseph and witnesses the jealousy Joseph's brothers had for him.

When Joseph's brothers sell him for twenty pieces of silver to Ishmaelites, then lie about it to their father, Whitney witnesses the anguish of the father who believes his favored son dead. Many years go by all in the 30 minutes it takes Whitney to read/experience the story. Due to a famine, the brothers travel to Egypt, where Joseph is, so they may purchase grain. Whitney accompanies them, and is surprised to realize the man whom the brothers bow to is Joseph.

She stays behind when the brothers are sent home to retrieve their youngest brother, Benjamin, who was the father's second-favorite son. Joseph confides in Whitney everything which happened to him and learns of the deceitful things his brothers told their father.

Upon the brothers' return, Joseph treats them to a feast, then hatches a plan to reveal his true identity by putting a silver goblet in Benjamin's pack. When he sends a servant after the brothers to locate the goblet, and it's discovered in the youngest brother's pack, Joseph demands Benjamin must stay with him as his slave. The other brothers beg for it to be anyone but Benjamin since he is their father's favorite son since Joseph was lost. It's then Joseph reveals his identity and tells Benjamin he must bring their father to Egypt where he is Pharaoh's chief officer and governor over all of Egypt.

Whitney returns to her present day world with a big lesson on jealousy, and with her friends, fesses up to the prank pulled on Natalie.

What I Like: The story teaches an important lesson for kids on the downward spiral jealousy can create. I especially liked the fact Whitney was involved first-hand in the story, rather than having it told to her. Her observations make the story much more powerful in my opinion.

What I Dislike: The jump from present-day to Biblical times seemed abrupt to me. One second, you were in Whitney's basement, the next, standing in Canaan with Joseph's father. The jump back wasn't quite as abrupt.

Also, as a writer, there were a few places where the wording in the book seemed vague or just plain wrong. This took me out of the story until I could rectify what was trying to be said.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 8 - 12, but there's one part of the story may need some parental guidance for younger readers. That's where Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, and when he refuses her, she "spread rumors that Joseph made forceful advances to her."

Publisher Info: Paulist Press, 1999; ISBN: 0-8091-6664-X; Paperback $5.95

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Special Info: We've reviewed other books in The Emerald Bible Collection. You can find them here.

Chronicles of Faith: Joseph

Part of the Chronicles of Faith series, Joseph was written by Rex Williams and illustrated by Al Bohl. Using a chapter book format, this book re-tells the life of the title character, from his first prophetic dream to his burial in the Promised Land.

Readers follow Joseph and his brothers through their sibling rivalries and feuds. Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery then face the immense grief of their father. Joseph, meanwhile, rises to a respected position in Potiphar's household. When Potiphar's wife seeks more from this slave, he refuses to dishonor his master or break the laws of God. Furious, Potiphar's wife lies about Joseph and has him put in jail. He waits there for years, again earning respect and interpreting dreams. When the kind of Egypt has a dream no one can understand, others remember Joseph and the gift God has given him. He is called before the king where he interprets the king's dream. As a reward, the king grants Joseph power over all of Egypt.

Eventually, Joseph meets his brothers again. Through a little testing and trickery, Joseph recognizes their changed hearts and reveals himself as the brother they once betrayed. Great rejoicing and forgiveness reign. All of Joseph's family -- his father (Israel), brothers and their families -- come to live in Egypt.

The book concludes with details of Israel's death and burial, then Joseph's death and burial. A glossary of terms is given on the last couple pages.

Black and white line drawings fill every other page. These illustrations offer high contrast and labels of explanation or dialog from the text.

What I Like: This book offers a large font and short chapters (10-15 pages, half of which are illustrations) making it a good choice for beginning readers. I like the delicate way it handles the appeals of Potiphar's wife. Rather than being explicit with her invitation of promiscuity, the text says she "noticed" Joseph, "flirted" with him and "tried to get him to neglect his work in order to spend more time with her." This offers age appropriate details while maintaining biblical accuracy. And that is my favorite thing about this book: It is biblically accurate!

What I Dislike: The illustrations are not clear. My kids often needed explanation to understand what they saw.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 8-12, but my kids (ages 4 and 5) enjoyed listening to it read aloud.

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, 2007; ISBN: 1597899267; Paperback; $7.95

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Special Info: See our reviews of other books in this series, including biographies of Ruth, Esther and Paul.

First Virtues for Toddlers

If you want help instilling good qualities like generosity and patience in your toddler or preschooler, First Virtues for Toddlers by Dr. Mary Manz Simon is a great addition to the family library.

This fat book contains 12 stories (originally published as individual books), each emphasizing a different virtue: kindness, truthfulness, loving nature, patience, forgiveness, friendliness, thankfulness, obedience, joyfulness, generosity, politeness, and a desire to do the best job possible. Each story is short, written in strong rhyme, and has cute pictures of animals drawn by Linda Clearwater, Dorothy Stott, Kathy Couri, and Phyllis Harris.

Here's an example of the text:

"If I make
a great big mess,
I'll be honest
and confess.

I will not steal
from a store.
I will pay
at the door."

Each chapter always refers back to the Bible, offering a simple biblical quote for children to memorize.

The last few pages of the book contain notes for parents, with ideas on promoting virtues.

What I Like: This book is well written and has adorable illustrations. What's not to like?

What I Dislike: My only complaint is that the parental notes would be more useful directly before or after the stories they pertain to, rather than squeezed in at the end of the book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, infant to toddler, but because this isn't a board book, most parents won't be able to read it to their baby. In addition, my four year old (who tends to have advanced tastes) really enjoyed this book and it lead to several interesting conversations about good behavior.

Publishing Info: Standard, 2006; ISBN: 978-0784718483; hardback, $14.99

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Discovering Jesus in Genesis

Discovering Jesus in Genesis, written by Susan Hunt and Richie Hunt, helps young people discover more about the character of God. The Old Testament book of Genesis is the focus, although the book teaches that Jesus can be discovered in scripture all through the Bible.

The plot involves three children: Cassie, Daniel, and Caleb, and an elderly neighbor, Sir John. He invites the children to participate in a summer Bible study where he promises they will discover the treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge.
Then, Mary and Mac move into the neighborhood to live with Granny Grace after their parents divorce. The three friends invite them to a cookout, but Mary and Mac tease the friends for being so different. Nevertheless, Cassie and Caleb invite Mary and Mac to the circus.

Mary finally becomes interested in the weekly Bible study and she begins to enjoy her time at Sir John’s house. Mary’s heart changes and she becomes a Christian when she realizes she’s never had friends like Cassie, Daniel, and Caleb. Mac is skeptical of Christianity, but when Caleb's youth leader helps him work out his disappointment with his Dad, Mac’s heart changes, too. When Mary breaks her leg in a soccer game, Mary’s mother witnesses the prayer and support for her daughter. She admits that she has turned her back on God and returns to her faith.

The stories illustrate God’s covenant promise: he sent Jesus to redeem us. The 36 chapters explore God’s grace as well as the covenant values of stewardship, worship, obedience, trust, thankfulness, and love. Sir John emphasizes the stories of Abraham and Joseph with the children.

Every chapter tackles tough issues: sharing faith, wondering if a person is too bad to become Christian, overcoming anger when treated badly, forgiveness, and even the importance of being nice to siblings and defeating grumpiness! Prayer is emphasized throughout and the reader will see the adults and children praying over every little situation that crops up during the day.

What I Like: This book would be ideal for a Bible study or family devotional. Each chapter begins with the covenant value and features a verse of scripture that’s perfect for memorization. The chapter closes with discussion questions and a prayer. As a bonus, there are several hymns and a wonderful recipe for shortbread cookies!

What I Dislike: The characters are a little too perfect and Cassie’s thoughts are sometimes beyond her age. The children need only a quick reminder to get back to being a good Christian. This seemed unrealistic. On a positive note, the parents were conscientious about prayer, family devotionals, and monitoring outside influences. This sets the bar high and creates a good example of invitational Christian faith for both parents and children who use this book.

There was a situation where the children laughed at a snoring man in church. The parents decided that because of their behavior, they had not properly prepared their hearts for worship and that friends could no longer sit together in church. This seemed harsh to me. Someone loudly snoring is enough to distract the most respectful adult. I thought some of the consequences were necessary, but I think developing Christian friendships is important for children.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: Ages 4 to 12. First grade at a minimum would be ideal for holding attention and for understanding.

Publisher Info: Crossway Books, 2002; ISBN: 1-58134-394-9; Softcover $16.99.

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Joseph Forgives His Brothers

Joseph Forgives His Brothers is written by Robert Baden and illustrated by Chris Sharp. This is a rhythmic (somewhat mangled) story of a young boy named Joseph. He was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jacob loved Joseph so much, his brothers became jealous of him and sold him as a slave. His father believed Joseph had died and his brothers never told their father differently.

"Poor Jacob thought his son was dead;
His brothers soon forgot him.
But God kept Joseph safely with
Potiphar, the man who bought him."

Potiphar liked Joseph more than any of his other slaves, until he thought Joseph had committed a sin and had him thrown into jail. But even in jail, God was with him.

"In prison, Joseph helped explain
The dreams of men around him.
And when Pharoah had a dream,
He searched him out and found him."

What I Like: Nothing. Well, I do like how the author tells that God is with Joseph in each situation.
What I Dislike: Normally, rhyming text appeals to me. Not this time. The author says that a man named Potiphar bought Joseph, but does not tell who Potiphar is. A sin was committed, but we are not even delicately told what it was. Then a man named Pharaoh pops into the picture, in search of Joseph, with no explanation of who this man is. The illustrations are overly exaggerated; even a camel scowls. There is a dog and little blue bird that appear on most of the pages with different bug-eyed expressions.
Overall Rating: Poor.
Age Appeal: 4 - 8.
Publishing Info: Concordia Publishing House; Paperback, 2003; ISBN: 0758604564
Buy the English version now from Amazon.com for $4.48
Or, get the Spanish version at Chrstianbook.com for $2.49

The Coat of Many Colors

The Coat of Many Colors, written by Jenny Koralek and illustrated by Pauline Baynes, is one of many books about the Bible character, Joseph. This book retells the well-known story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, taken from the book of Genesis. The author highlights the key events in Joseph’s life: his father giving him a special coat; his brothers’ jealousies and their betrayal of him; his capture and enslavement; his interpretations of Pharaoh’s dreams; his rise to power in Egypt; and his eventual reunion with his brothers.

The text contains both narrative and dialogue, bringing the characters to life on the page.

The illustrations, done mostly in shades of browns and yellows, like those found in a desert, are appropriate for a story set long ago in Egypt. They evoke a feeling of ancient Egyptian art. Borders, like those found on ancient poetry, have been added to each page.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Publisher Info: Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2004; ISBN: 0802852777; Hardcover: $16.00.

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Great Bible Stories: Joseph in Egypt

Great Bible Stories: Joseph in Egypt is the second of two books in the Great Bible Stories series dealing with Joseph of the Old Testament. (Click here to read my review of the first book.) Written by Maxine Nodel, this is a straightforward retelling of Joseph's experience as an Egyptian ruler, and how he came to reconcile with his brothers. Once again, well known comic book illustrator Normal Nodel provides the illustrations.

What I Like: The illustrations are vivid and detailed, and the retelling of this story refrains from being overly-wordy. This book is relatively simple, but engaging.

What I Dislike: Nothing, but do be aware that this book will not make sense unless either the Great Bible Stories book Joseph is read first, or the readers are quite familiar with the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5 - 9.

Publishing Info: Baronet Books, 1993; ISBN: 0-86611-009-7; hardback, $5.95

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Great Bible Stories: Joseph

Great Bible Stories: Joseph is the first of two books in the Great Bible Stories series dealing with Joseph of the Old Testament. The retelling of Joseph, his coat of many colors, and his rise in Egyptian politics is aptly done by Maxine Nodel. Noted comic book illustrator Normal Nodel provides vivid illustrations that remind me of the old Prince Valent comic strip.

What I Like: The illustrations are old-fashioned...in a good way. They are clearly done by a talented artist and provide rich detail and color. The book also offers a retelling of a familiar Bible story without including a lot of unnecessary details.

What I Dislike: This isn't so much a dislike as it is a word of caution. Joseph does not skirt around the fact that Joseph's brothers wanted to murder him. Not all children may be ready to for this; at the very least, parents should be prepared for questions that may follow a reading of this book. (Do note, however, that the author skirts around the sexuality in Joseph's story. She says Potiphar's wife "tried to persuade Joseph to plot against her husband," and leaves it at that.)

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5 - 9.

Publishing Info: Baronet Books, 1993; ISBN: 0866110089; hardback, $5.95

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Special Info:Normal Nodel died in 2000 and his works are now considered collectible. To learn more about Nodel, check out Comic Creator.