I have been reading thru the King of Glory with my young daughter lately and it has been a joy. Some of the pictures were a little on the scary side for her but were good depictions of evil at its core, including Lucifer. I think this distillation of the biblical story captures some of the grandeur of God's glory and creation, while also depicting the devastating effects of the fall of man into sin.
Author P.D. Bramsen and illustrator Arminda San Martin have sought to bring to light the story of the bible from creation to new creation through picture and words in a very telling and thougtful manner. There are 70 scences that depict the story, roughly 36 from the Old Testament and the rest from the New Testament. The first 19 scenes are devoted to the creation and the Fall. I thought scene 19 was done very well in depicting Adam and Eve being banished from the Garden of Eden and Adam looking longingly to back where he came from. Bramsen makes a note here that the Lord is the only one in history that always keeps his word, always being faithful to his promises. Overall, you get a good sense of the storyline from Martin's illustrations, both the feeling of the fall and the rejoicing of the people as they delight in God.
The second part focuses on the life of Jesus from the coming of Gabriel to Mary, to his birth, and through his minstry (life, death, resurrection). Some of the most moving depictions were of Jesus healing people (scene 48-51), seeing the compassion he had for the people and their estate. We also get a sense of the brutality of the crucifixion, with the Roman guards nailing Jesus to the cross and the ridicule that followed. Lastly, we see the glory of his resurrection with a sense of the wonder of the disciples but also their confusion.
The King of Glory was not without one major flaw and one minor one. The major flaw was the lack of concentration on the Old Testament. Among the first 36 scenes devoted to the Old Testament, the first 35 focus on Genesis and Exodus. Furthermore, we get one scene devoted to Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. I'm not sure why there was such a sparse presentation of the Old Testament, but in a story of the Bible there needs to be a portrayal of the Law, the Prophets, the Wisdom literature and some focus on the Minor Prophets. Even if we got some scenes of the OT that were types and shadows of the coming King, then that would serve us better than one scene devoted to prophecies. Lastly, I would of liked to see a more robust telling of the story of redemption regarding the whole tenor of creation. The renewal and restoration of all creation is one of the major themes of the Bible and I think more could be emphasized concerning this theme.
Overall, despite some of my criticisms I found this book to be enjoyable to help draw others into the story of the Bible. The author is sure footed to point out the depths of our depravity and looks in the right direction for the solution in the coming of King Jesus. The illustrations served to bring the message of the Bible into focus and draw us back to the Scriptural account.
Thanks to Book Crash for the review copy of King of Glory and also to Rock International.
Author P.D. Bramsen and illustrator Arminda San Martin have sought to bring to light the story of the bible from creation to new creation through picture and words in a very telling and thougtful manner. There are 70 scences that depict the story, roughly 36 from the Old Testament and the rest from the New Testament. The first 19 scenes are devoted to the creation and the Fall. I thought scene 19 was done very well in depicting Adam and Eve being banished from the Garden of Eden and Adam looking longingly to back where he came from. Bramsen makes a note here that the Lord is the only one in history that always keeps his word, always being faithful to his promises. Overall, you get a good sense of the storyline from Martin's illustrations, both the feeling of the fall and the rejoicing of the people as they delight in God.
The second part focuses on the life of Jesus from the coming of Gabriel to Mary, to his birth, and through his minstry (life, death, resurrection). Some of the most moving depictions were of Jesus healing people (scene 48-51), seeing the compassion he had for the people and their estate. We also get a sense of the brutality of the crucifixion, with the Roman guards nailing Jesus to the cross and the ridicule that followed. Lastly, we see the glory of his resurrection with a sense of the wonder of the disciples but also their confusion.
The King of Glory was not without one major flaw and one minor one. The major flaw was the lack of concentration on the Old Testament. Among the first 36 scenes devoted to the Old Testament, the first 35 focus on Genesis and Exodus. Furthermore, we get one scene devoted to Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. I'm not sure why there was such a sparse presentation of the Old Testament, but in a story of the Bible there needs to be a portrayal of the Law, the Prophets, the Wisdom literature and some focus on the Minor Prophets. Even if we got some scenes of the OT that were types and shadows of the coming King, then that would serve us better than one scene devoted to prophecies. Lastly, I would of liked to see a more robust telling of the story of redemption regarding the whole tenor of creation. The renewal and restoration of all creation is one of the major themes of the Bible and I think more could be emphasized concerning this theme.
Overall, despite some of my criticisms I found this book to be enjoyable to help draw others into the story of the Bible. The author is sure footed to point out the depths of our depravity and looks in the right direction for the solution in the coming of King Jesus. The illustrations served to bring the message of the Bible into focus and draw us back to the Scriptural account.
Thanks to Book Crash for the review copy of King of Glory and also to Rock International.
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