Just Like Jesus book review

Just Like Jesus Bible storybook by Tyndale Kids is a 173-devotional book for preschoolers. It is written by Stephen Elkins and illustrated by Simon Taylor-Kiely and Ruth Zeglin. Lessons comprise 4 pages of colorfully illustrated children and animals supporting a common character trait of Jesus. For example, “Jesus was kind” teaches kindness through Scripture memory, short story about the Good Samaritan, an application paragraph, and a prayer for the day. Although illustrations are adorable and the concept is admirable, the stories and application to Jesus are not necessarily congruent. Taking the example of kindness: although Jesus was certainly kind, the story of the Good Samaritan is not about Jesus. In the lesson on faithfulness, Jesus tells the story of the faithful servant. I’m not sure kids will connect the story with Jesus, since many of the stories are not about Jesus himself. I also found the length of the book to be counter-productive. I don’t think children will want to read this again and again; they may not even want to finish it. I wouldn’t buy this devotional myself.