I have a confession for my readers about this book. I learned more from this book about the people living right at the beginning of the world than I've learned in any other book, including the Bible. If you're like me, as a Christian, you started reading Genesis in the King James Version...way back when...
After the Creation and then about Adam and Eve, it got harder to understand. So even though I have read it, I never really "tried" to put the people together in my mind as I would fictional characters. Yet, that is exactly what we need to do, isn't it? Well, Sheila Deeth has done an exceptional job for us. She's created a series where she introduces each character and tells a story from his or her perspective!
Sure, it a great learning book for children... But if you're a Christian of any age, who is willing to admit that you never took the time to go back to that Old Testament King James Version to try and understand it better, then I recommend you consider this book not only for your children...but plan on learning more yourself! I guarantee that having the perspective of the individual character will help fix these individuals better in your mind and will help you build a better understanding of the family relationships as well..
Sometimes God Incidents happen! [A number of years ago I heard the word coincidence referred to as God incidents...I liked that so much] so when I started reading Deeth's book, I had an immediate flashback--a God Incident, to the book I had just reviewed earlier this week--A Vision of Angels--where a young boy had been taught in school that Christians, Jews and Muslims all worshiped the same God. When he got home, he began to ask questions, like, "Then why don't we have just one religion?" Sheila's book would have been able to help provide him (and the world) answers!
As I read Deeth's 5-minute stories, it was quite easy to see the break off as children left home and moved away, sometimes not too willingly... But there was a basic love, forgiveness and the desire for peace that guided the family always...
Why that has changed over time is another book or two (LOL) but for me, Genesis People certainly helped me envision the way that the break offs might have felt like the individuals were now on their own with the need for a new religion--but, was there?
The book contains 50 different stories center on those mentioned as well as Joseph, Sarai, Seth, Cain and Abel and all of the others as they were born, married, and had children. And then relocated to start their lives...BTW, it was easy to compare the map of Canaan from that time to see the land is now divided...and where the families relocated...
There is some duplication, as when the story is from the perspective of Cain versus Abel. This helps greatly to tie the individuals together and to better understand how each might have felt about what happened...
Then there is a short suggested prayer to recap and thank God for what was covered in the story.
Depending on the age of your children, you may read one or two stories to the younger children and allow the older ones to read as they wish...Or you can do as I did, and read it all at once! It's an easy and fun read since the stories have been written in story tale form...
The author has added a section of "Did you Know?" that I especially enjoyed! Here's a "taste" of it:
True science and true religion can never be at odds with one another. How could they be? Both are attempts to understand the God who formulated the laws of science that rule our universe, which man has struggled mightily to comprehend and codify. Unfortunately, increased understanding has led some to discount the Bible and the events it contains.
Let me know if you learned something new like I did! Excerpts and pics can be found on my blog. It is well worth it for your children, but isn't it great that Sheila Deeth just might have helped your own understanding of the Bible as well!?! Highly Recommended!
GABixlerReviews
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brilliant for all ages
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2013