we recently read "jonah and the great big fish" written by rhonda gowler greene and illustrated by maragret spengler. the story of jonah is not only one of my girls' favorites, but also one of the very first bible stories they both learned. reading through jonah and the great big fish proved to be a fun reading experience for all of us. the girls loved the rhyme and flow of the story. i liked that the author used a broad vocabulary that was just enough to be a good teaching tool, but not too advanced to be over their heads. we were able to discuss words like, "anxious," "weary," and "stubborn" without losing the message in the story.
the pictures were very kid friendly - i think laney (3 years old) enjoyed looking at the pictures just as much as she enjoyed hearing the story. libbi was also impressed with the illustrations and i think they added a nice touch to the story. i like that the illustrations are detailed enough so that even the youngest of "readers" can retell the story while playing "school" (without actually being able to read) ;)
while i found "jonah and the great big fish" to be biblically sound in most aspects, i do wish the author would have expanded a bit upon the repentance of jonah as well as the rewards and blessings of obedience and not just the consequences of disobeying God. it did present a great forum for discussion with my girls and i'm thankful for the lessons and opportunities it provided. i would definitely recommend "jonah and the great big fish" for all children (and parents!)
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
