10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good book, November 30, 2008
This review is from: The Prince's Poison Cup (Hardcover)
R. C. Sproul's writings have meant a lot to me for many years, so several years ago I noted with interest when he began writing children's books. This is the first of his children's books I have read however. I am now all the more interested to get his other children's books.
This story is a good allegorical retelling of the gospel. The story begins with a little girl who loves to hear stories from her grandfather. She asks him, "If medicine helps us get better, why does it always seem to taste so bad?" From this question the grandfather tells her a story of how "sometimes things that seem terrible are actually very good." What follows then is medieval story of a people who rebelled against their good King (the King of Life) and drank from a forbidden fountain. As a result the people became wicked and abandoned the King. Eventually the King's Son, the Prince came and drank the deadly poison himself. The poison killed him, but the King brought him back to life. The Prince's action also turned the poisoned fountain into a life giving fountain that restored the people to the King.
The story is well woven bringing in many facets of Christ's ministry and giving a good grasp of the atonement in basic terms. A discussion guide is also provided in the back to help parents discuss the book with their children. This is a great tool, because although the connections will seem obvious to those raised in the faith, this guide ensures that you can give this book to people with no background in the faith and they will be sure to see the connections being made.
I commend this book heartily. Books like this are wonderful on various levels. For one, I like to be able to present the gospel regularly to my children from various angles. Secondly, this is a great tools for parents, helping them as they read to their children to better grasp the gospel and to learn to interpret some of the imagery of the Bible. Then, this is helpful not only for believing parents, but it can also be a good evangelism tool as you give books like this to non-Christian parents. Often time parents who do not profess faith will want their children to have some exposure to Christianity. Anyone reading this book- young or old- will hear the gospel, and that gospel is still the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16)!
Lastly, the book also portrays a healthy family situation where a grandfather is involved in the life of hid grandchildren, where he is considered a source of wisdom, and where adults take time to tell stories and explain the gospel to children.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book with purpose, January 7, 2009
This review is from: The Prince's Poison Cup (Hardcover)
This is not your typical, fluffy, feelgood children's book. It does not hide sin and death, but instead seeks to make them more understandable to the young child. It is a book with purpose.
This book is rife with opportunities to discuss difficult Christian concepts with children. An allegorical adaptation of the story of the cross, this piece covers such concepts as: the fall, the hard-heartedness of all humanity, the cost of sin, the necessity of the Son's sacrifice, redemption, God's goodness even when things seem bad, and Christ's resurrection, just to name a few. There is potential to discuss many more topics that are touched on in the book as well.
I disagree with a previous reviewer, who felt that the points were not adequately clear. Truly good children's literature covers difficult concepts that cause children to ask questions and think for themselves. The idea is not for the child to sit alone in his or her room reading the book and fully understanding it, but for a parent to read it to them and guide them through the difficult parts. I think this book does this better than most. Without giving us all the answers, it allows the child to think and the parent to lead the child into a discussion of the real Prince, and the poison of our sin that he accepted on the Cross.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous!, April 22, 2009
This review is from: The Prince's Poison Cup (Hardcover)
Theologian and pastor Dr. R.C. Sproul's The Prince's Poison Cup is nothing less than gorgeous.
In this allegorical tale, we first meet a modern-day little girl named Ella who has a minor illness and must take some distasteful medicine. She asks her father, "Why does medicine taste so bad if it's going to make us well?" Her grandfather gives the answer in the form of a "once upon a time" story.
He says that once their was a king called the King of Life because he made people, animals, and plants. He created a beautiful park where he could meet with his people and enjoy a beautiful fountain. He told them they could drink from any stream in the park, but they could not drink from that fountain. But when a stranger in a dark cloak appeared and told them the liquid in the fountain would do "wonderful things for them," they disobeyed their king. They didn't know the stranger was the king's enemy. Once they drank from the fountain, the water turned murky and they moved out of the park and began disobeying the king in nearly every way imaginable.
The king was angry enough to destroy his people, but instead he sent his son, the prince, to go to the park and drink from the fountain. By doing so, the king said, the prince would die from the murky poison - but the prince would also save the people. Even though it was very difficult, the prince obeyed his father. As he approached the fountain, the prince began to tremble with fear. With a cruel smile, the stranger in the dark cloak handed the prince a cup. With difficulty, the prince drank the poison and died. The people, led by the stranger, laughed and cheered...until the King of Life appeared and put life back into the prince.
"At that moment, the liquid bubbling up out of the fountain changed. No longer was it dark, murky poison. Now it was beautiful, clear, sweet water...The water seemed to be alive...[The prince said] 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.'"
Slowly, the people began to drink the water. And when they did, their hate was gone. They no longer wanted to run from the king.
Grandpa finishes up the book by saying:
"Ella, I want you to remember that we get sick because of sin. That's why the medicine that makes our bodies well usually looks and tastes bad. But the prince had to drink something far more terrible so that His people might be healed from the results of their disobedience. Each time you have to take bitter medicine, I want you to remember the story of the Prince's posion cup."
Ella promises she will, then replies, "And do you know what? I know another Prince who died for His people." "'Do you?'" Grandpa asked, with a twinkle in his eye."
This story is followed by a four page parent's guide, filled with questions children may ask and how they can be answered. (For example: "Who is the real King of Life?" and "What does it mean to drink from the cup Jesus offers?")
What I Like: The illustrations by Justin Gerard are absolutely gorgeous. They are vivd and imaginative, hearkening back to Medieval times and displaying both darkness and splendid light. This story couldn't have more appropriate or interesting illustrations.
The allegory itself is a creative way of helping kids understand the true meaning of Jesus' death and what it means to drink from his cup - difficult concepts, sometimes even for adults. I also really appreciate the parent's guide, which offers plenty of Bible verses to read.
What I Dislike: At times, especially in the part of the story set in the modern day, the dialogue seems stilted. At other times, the story seems truncated, as if the author was running out of room to tell his tale. For example, the story mentions that the prince traveled with friends, and that those friends disappeared when the crowds jeer, but their appearance in the book is so fleeting and ill-described they really add nothing to the story. However, even with such flaws, this is a lovely book and does a good job of offering enlightenment on the subject of why Jesus had to die on the cross.
Overall Rating: Very good.
Kristina Seleshanko
Managing Editor
Christian Children's Book Review
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