Author: Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Illustrator: Margaux Meganck
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Publication Date: May 17, 2017
Audience: Ages 5-10
Summary
Author: Amy-Jill Levine & Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Illustrator: Margaux Meganck
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Publication Date: May 17, 2017
Audience: Ages 5-10
Summary: This book places the three parables of loss in a modern context, making them simpler for children to understand. The parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son are included. The text stresses the message that everyone has value.
Literary elements at work in the story: The narrative has simple sentences that are easy for children to understand. The text would be easy enough for early readers. The story is told in second person and never gives names to the characters, rather they are called, “the man, the woman, the brother.” When reading the book to a three-year-old, he was interested in counting the sheep and looking for the lost coin in each picture. Thus, the book has some added layers of education and engagement for children but the story itself would not be understood before early elementary school. In the letter included to parents and teachers, the authors of the story describe that they intended for an added layer of understanding to be achieved through these parables. In addition to the idea of repentance and forgiveness,inclusivity of all God’s people is highlighted. This exegesis is best demonstrated in the story of the prodigal son in which the older brother is upset when the younger brother returns because his father forgot to invite him to the party. The first two stories build upon the final narrative of the two sons and the authors weave them together in the end. This is an angle not typically approached so it is very effective, especially to children in an age where social exclusivity is so commonplace.
How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? The illustrations are beautiful and highlight racial, cultural, and economic diversity. Each story is illustrated with a different race represented as well as various economic and cultura