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BIBLE LEGENDS TOLD IN RHYME by Sebastien Dubois

BIBLE LEGENDS TOLD IN RHYME

by Sebastien Dubois

Pub Date: Oct. 22nd, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5049-4635-3
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK

Debut author Dubois offers 12 biblical tales for kids in simple verse format.

These legends from the Old and New Testament, told in rhyming poetry, first transport readers to the days of Noah as he builds his ark and saves his family from the great flood. After that, they offer several moments from Moses’ life story, including the sparing of his life as an infant, his call to be a prophet, his plea to Pharaoh to deliver the Israelites out of bondage, and the first five plagues that God set upon Egypt. Other verses feature tales of other Old Testament prophets, such as Solomon, Jonah, and Daniel, followed by three stories of Jesus Christ: his birth, his changing of water into wine, and the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Without abandoning biblical accuracy, Dubois effectively transforms sophisticated biblical text into language that children will be able to comprehend and enjoy. The illustrations are as practical and clear as the narratives, always portraying the key elements of each story without superfluous details. The majority of the rhymes are well considered, although sometimes the author sacrifices the overall solemn tone for awkward, forced rhymes (“Jesus had the blues when brought this news”). The poetry’s meter could also have been more consistent, in order to allow it to flow more freely. Only a few lines make good use of rhythm, such as, “By dawn he’ll be dead / And the lions well fed!”; most others are nearly indistinguishable from prose. Also, more variety in the poems’ formats (such as in the number of lines in each stanza) might have made them even more engaging.

An easy-to-understand, if unevenly written, collection for young Christians looking for a new way to experience favorite stories from Scripture.