"It is the world's greatest story, burning with history, passion, and tragedy."
In clear, reverent language and shining gold-toned paintings, award-winning author/illustrator Brian Wildsmith creates this companion book to his earlier A Christmas Story. The story is told from the perspective of the donkey colt, and this enchantingly simple perspective will engage even the very youngest child. Lush jewel tones capture the richness of the narrative, and mesh in a strangely beautiful way with the simple paintings of Jesus, the angels, Mary Magdalene, and others in the biblical cast of characters.
Wildsmith's own passion for the story is unmistakable, and he offers a splendid rendition.
Amazon Review:
Beautiful Depiction of Holy Week (5-stars)
We use this book in our church school classes, mostly because of the way it depicts the events of Holy Week. The illustrations often take a panoramic perspective, giving the sense of the crowds in Jerusalem during the Passover. The story is told from the point of view of the little donkey that Jesus rode into the city on. This is somewhat distracting but the wonderful illustrations make this much more of a discussion than a real story. There are some illustrations that are not quite true to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus—the trial before Pilot is held in a strange amphitheater setting, but the view of the Last Supper is right on target. The best part about the book is the way the angels (in all their glory) watch over the events. For young children the ideas of the crucifixion are particularly alarming. Here the sky is filled with angels that remind us that Jesus was never abandoned during this horrible time. The scene at the Tomb gives an interesting interpretation of all the gospel versions with angels sitting atop the tombstone, hovering aloft and waiting inside. This book does a wonderful job of supporting discussion and deepening mediation.
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