Who Was Esther?
is a new installment in the Kingdom Files series by Matt Koceich.
Written by an elementary school teacher, this series is targeted for
kids ages 8 to 12. My six year old took an immediate interest in the
book and pictures. Though she reads well, because of the length of
this book, it is one for us to read together. Older children will be
able to easily read the narrative by themselves. There are grayscale
pictures throughout.
The
book is divided into three parts with the first part being the “Fact
File.” This is very basic information about the character such as
name, occupation, approximate time of life, etc. In this book, the
“Fact File” spans two pages.
The
“Action File” is the longest section and retells the Biblical
story of Esther, a Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia and saved
her people from annihilation. This section also features “clues”
to aid the reader's investigation into discovering the life of the
character and thinking more deeply on the text. The text aligns with
the Biblical narrative, but it doesn't dip into the sexual aspects of
the book. No mentions of harems and concubines. However, I didn't
like that Esther being taken to the king was compared with people
being saved by Jesus and brought into the Father's house (page 22).
The
“Power File” is the last section and my personal favorite part of
the book. This portion features ten small devotions based off the
story with a correlating Bible verse. I found these to be positive,
empowering, appropriate for both genders, and suited to the targeted
age range.
In
conclusion, Who Was Esther? by
Matt Koceich entertains and encourages children as it teaches the
story of Esther and provides life applications.
I
received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and
was under no obligation to post a review.
