The Easter Story

Image Source: Collins Dictionary

The Christmas story from the Bible is a fairly easy one to share through a picture book for young children but Easter is more complex.

The author needs to include:

• Passover
• The Last Supper with the disciples
• The betrayal by Judas
• The Crucifixion
• The resurrection
• The Ascension to heaven 

Here are three books you could share with a child. Each contains bright illustrations - Brian Wildsmith; Christina Balit; and Sophie Allsopp. 

Here are a set of teaching ideas to use with The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith.

Taking a closer look at these three books. I have included text quotes to give you an idea of the level and style of the writing:

Opening lines: "Once, a long time ago, a little donkey was brought to Jesus. The little donkey had never been ridden before, bu Jesus spoke gently to him, and soon he stopped being afraid."

Closing lines: "But Jesus knew it was time for him to leave this earth. As the sun rose one morning, he went up to his father in Heaven. The next day Jesus' friends took the little donkey back to his home. And the little donkey stayed there for the rest of his life, remembering the kind and good man he had carried on his back to Jerusalem."

Review: Publishers Weekly

Recommended for ages 8+  You can view the whole book here. 

Opening lines: "One springtime, long ago, everyone was talking about Jesus of Nazareth. 'He is a wonderful storyteller,' said the children. 'He welcomes everybody,' said the outcasts. 'We believe he can work miracles,' added those who were sick. 'But how can the son of a carpenter be a teacher?' asked the religious leaders. 'Who is this Jesus? Who can he be?"

Closing lines: "We are the followers of Jesus - the one who was crucified and who I declare has been raised from the dead. He is the Messiah, the one sent by God to save us. ... In this way Peter began the work of spreading the message of Jesus: the message to bring people into God's everlasting kingdom."

Recommended for ages 10+

Opening lines: "Long ago there lived a man named Jesus. He was a storyteller and a miracle worker and a preacher. 'And he tells us the good news,' said the children, 'that God loves us."

Closing lines: "One day when Jesus's followers were together, they heard a noise like blowing wind. They saw flames of bright fire blazing above them. They felt brave and strong as never before. That very day they began to spread the good news about Jesus. The news about God's love: the love that will last for ever."

Recommended for ages 5+

Just a Girl by Jackie French

"Because you have strength, girl. You and Baratha. You bought meat to your family. You girded your skirts about your loins, even though the women scoffed. You fought for your family. I saved you because you have the strength of love. You were never just a girl."

Actually the title of this book needs to be changed to NOT just a girl because Judith's work ethic, ingenuity, problem solving, care of her family and resourcefulness are inspirational

In the middle of the night Rabba, the grandmother, wakes Judith and demands to be carried away from their home, away from the village, out to the wadi. Judith is told to also take her little sister Baratha and the family's goat.  When she returns for their sleeping pallets she sees Romans arriving. They break down the gates to her village and begin their attack. As Judith watches she sees them kill her mother and cries silent tears as her sisters abducted.

It seems Rabba knew an attack would come. The wadi contains so much food. "It was a cave, the biggest I had seen ... crammed with chests and pots and giant amphorae all stopped with clay or wax."

The little group can survive but what of their future?  To complicate things a young man arrives. Caius is a slave on the run. Judith knocks him down with her slingshot not knowing he will become an important ally. Caius is a Christian. Rabba, Judith and Baratha are Jews.

Running alongside the story of Judith, her grandmother Sawtha Rabba and little sister Baratha is the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Mary is not "just a girl".  Rabba knew Mary, known as Maryiam, as child in Jerusalem. As she recounts stories of childhood we gain a different view of this famous woman Mary, mother of Jesus, beyond the story of the famous birth in a stable.

One real strength of this story comes from the vivid way Jackie French creates each scene. Here is an example where Judith is attacked in the wadi by wolves.

"I sat up and saw the flash of red eyes peering through the cave's opening, glinting in the dim firelight. ... A black shape slinked across the cave .. A second wolf leaped over me in a foetid reek of fur and urine. I felt its fur brush my face."

Here is a brilliant set of teaching notes from Robyn Sheahan-Bright. You can also find a list of further reading including an extensive list of web sites. Here is a detailed review. I will make an early prediction that this book - Just a Girl - will be short listed for our CBCA awards in 2019 in the Older Readers category.

One of the first books I ever read by Jackie French was Tajore Arkle. I still count it among my most favourite books. In my mind there is a strong connection between this earlier book from 1999 and this new title Just a Girl. I do hope the publishers might consider reprinting Tajore Arkle. Here is a review of Tajor Arkle.

Sam I am by Ilene Cooper

A few years ago a new topic was introduced for our Grade 3 students called People and their beliefs.  In this topic the children learn about some of the major religious beliefs in the world.  We have an extensive collection of books on this topic in our Non Fiction section.

Sam I am takes up this theme from the point of view of a family where the dad is from a Jewish family and mum is an Episcopalian Christian.  The sticking point comes with holidays like Easter and most especially Christmas.  The compromise they have developed is called a Hanukkah Bush.  Sadly as Christmas approaches the energetic family dog knocks over the tree breaking it and most of the delicate vintage decorations.  Mrs Goodman is so upset she refuses to replace the tree and so the stage is set for a very different Christmas this year for Sam and his family.  Meanwhile Sam struggles with his first boy girl friendship/relationship, a term in school where the topic is the holocaust and the family tensions surrounding these different religious beliefs.

This book is only suitable for Senior Primary students because Sam's holocaust assignment takes up about one third of the book but teachers of younger grades could read extracts. The explanations of Hanukkah are a little overstated but would be useful for students with no background knowledge of this festival.  There are also extensive details about the bar mitzvah of Avi, Sam's best friend.  Here is a web site for the author where you can read a detailed re-telling of the plot.  Here is a review.  I did not purchase this book for my school library and I am not sure where it came from but it would be a good book for a Senior student who is interested in religion or the holocaust.