Customer Reviews

The Prince's Poison Cup

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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.

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.

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

Berenstain Bears, Dr. Seuss, Golden Books, and The World of Beatrix Potter are all books that I had the enjoyment of growing up with. I can honestly state that being raised in a non-Christian home, my mother made an attempt to educate my brother and I with wholesome literature. Early on, I can remember the emphasis of reading and her spending time helping us to understand what it was we were hearing. My brother and I loved books as kids. Kids love books when they can interact and relate with the characters in the books. The most powerful imagery of these childhood books I still have today are the messages they ultimately conveyed.

While this is the first book in R.C. Sproul's series of children's books that I've read, I've heard warm reviews of the others. Most notably this book enters the world of the child by relating to the common distaste of medicine that all children seem to be born with. The illustrations tell of the comfort a child might experience from Grandpa sharing a story and advising with his wisdom why medicine tastes bad. If you have an imagination (and most certainly your child does) the warm images will compensate for the lack of detail our adult minds will be looking for in the theology of this story.

Because it is from R.C. Sproul, many parents who read this to their children should be expectant of a resonating influence of scripture in the plot. The opening page quotes John 18:11 and inevitably sets the tone that coincides with the title of this story. Providing the backdrop to Sproul's allegory is the concept of creation, the garden, and the fall of man. The emphasis and buildup of just what it was that the Prince (Jesus Christ) was preparing to do create the anxiety necessary for telling a good children's story. Climaxing with the death of the Prince, the resurrection through the power of His Father, and the moral summary given by Grandpa would seem to let readers down at first glance. However, this book sets out to accomplish its task, and illustrates the curse of sin (sickness), the distasteful medicine (cup of wrath), and the healing brought from its ingestion (cleansed cup of Christ).

The story does not provide ample text to preach a sermon from, but any parent reading this book to their child would do well to accentuate details through the powerful imagery seen in the full color illustrations. There are several images throughout the book that don't seem to have a correlated description in the story, some would say this was poorly planned, I believe it to be intentional. I would thoroughly enjoy reading this book to a child, and vicariously viewing this through the lens of my childhood past, these illustrations would excite me and they breathe life into this potent little book.

While reflecting on the important values and ethics I picked up in childhood readings, nothing could be more important than learning about the nature of the One True God. This book embodies the nature of our Lord through the story of Christ's atonement and the reconciliation given us through His cross. While some younger children may not grasp the concept of propitiation and reconciliation, The Prince's Poison Cup provides a means to teach your children biblical truth. Even better, the appendix includes a summary of questions to ask a child while promoting an understanding through scriptures that tell of Christ's work in the atonement.

Without having read any of Sproul's other childrens books, I have no comparison to gauge this one by. That said, I would still recommend this book to parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or even babysitters. If I could only go back and tell mom to buy this book for me as a child, I would.

The Prince's Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul is nothing short of amazing. I read this Book to my children and grandchildren. They picked up the message of the Gospel right away. The book walks through the story of the bible cleanly and simplistically. Dr. Sproul relates the characters of the book to biblical figures with ease. The artwork was nice and colorful. The questions in the back were thought provoking for the children. The children were able to answer them with ease after a little thought. The children all enjoyed the story and the story time with dad/pawpaw. I recommend this book to all parents and grandparents. It makes for a really good time with the kids.

This book is very thought provoking. My grandson picked up the message nicely and even interrupted my reading of it to tell me what it meant.

The illustrations are beautiful.

The Prince's Poison Cup is an amazing book by R.C. Sproul geared for children but just as good for parents. Dr. Sproul is a pastor, teacher, theologian, and philosopher who understands God's Word so well that he is able to make it understandable to children without sacrificing any of the deep, important meaning of important concepts. This is his fourth book for kids and each one keeps getting better.

The Prince's Poison Cup is written to help kids understand the concept of substitutionary atonement. Dr. Sproul does this by first introducing us to Ella Ruth, who has a bad tummy ache and has to take some yucky medicine to make it go away. She doesn't understand why medicine that makes us feel better has to taste so bad. She turns to her grandpa for an answer and he responds with a story.

In the story there is a king who is so powerful he is able to create anything. He makes a beautiful park and people to live in it. In the middle of the park he creates a fountain. Every day the king comes to visit his subjects. They have a wonderful relationship. The only thing that the king asks of his subjects is that they do not drink out of the fountain in the middle of the park.

One day the king's archenemy convinces the people to go against the king's command and drink the water from the fountain. When they do, their hearts are turned to stone and they rebel against the king. They leave the park and build their own city and don't want anything to do with the king anymore.

The king was angry that the people rebelled against him and so he placed a fountain in the middle of that city that was filled with poison - his wrath at the sin of his subjects. At the same time, the king still loved his subjects and desired to make a way that his wrath could be removed and the relationship could be restored with his people. The rest of the book is the story of how the king provides forgiveness for his people and how Ella Ruth's medicine is a reminder of what God did for us.

This book is unlike anything else out there right now (except maybe Dr. Sproul's other kids' books). Kids' books today tend to take the Bible and the truths in it so lightly. Everything is "fun" and shallow. If there happens to be a "Bible story" included, it is usually out of context and doesn't give any explanation with how it fits in with the big picture of the Bible. The Prince's Poison Cup does not make any of those mistakes. The story and the truths it contains are rock solid and explained very well so that it is impossible to misunderstand the deep theology behind them. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and fits the feel of the story - rich, reverent, and serious. On top of all of that, in the back of the book there is a section for parents that gives Scripture passages that support the main points of the story that can be used for further discussion to make sure that kids pick up on the truths behind the story. All of this is done in a way that is very enjoyable to read over and over.

This is absolutely a book you should have on your kids' bookshelves. It will help you as a parent understand one of the most important concepts in the Bible, it will give you an opening for some great discussions about Biblical truth with your kids, and it will be a book that you will love to read again and again.

This is another of Dr. R. C. Sproul's great children's books, not only for children, but for adults too. A great book to read to your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A great big thanks to Dr. Sproul for sharing the gospel with us in a children's story for adults as well.

bill in Missouri

RC Sproul has done it again! He's written a wonderfully, simple, engaging story about what Jesus did on the cross. The illustrations are outstanding. I've read it many times to my children since giving it to them on Christmas Day.

R. C. Sproul, Bible teacher, prolific author, and founder of Ligonier Ministries, has turned his hand to children's books on several occasions. And I must say that I was pleased with his 2006 story The Lightlings which allegorized the Christmas story. So when I had an opportunity to examine this new children's story by Sproul I was expecting great things.


As with the previous children's book I read from Sproul, he teamed up with artist Justin Gerard to create an ornamental, keepsake book for parents to read with their children and then pass on as veritable heirlooms for their grandchildren, and their grandchildren beyond. The artwork in The Prince's Poison Cup, while relatively nice, is not consistently spectacular as readers encountered in The Lightlings.


Sproul also takes the approach of a story within a story to retell the message of salvation. Ella Ruth's grandfather comes to visit while she is ill. She wants to know why medicine has to taste so bad if it is good for you. The story that Grandpa relates tells of a great King who provides a cure for the ailment of the people of his kingdom by sending his son, the Prince, to drink deadly poison.


The allegory bears a striking resemblance to the story of the fall of mankind found in the book of Genesis. In the story, instead of a forbidden tree, the reader finds a forbidden fountain. A place from which the King's subjects are forbidden to drink or something terrible will happen. The King, known as the King of Life because he had the ability to create things, loved his people (who he created) very much, but he knew that they would one day disobey him and drink from the fountain. They are tempted into doing just that by the King's archenemy--a dark figure whose appearance into the story brings with it a sense of foreboding.


The Prince's Poison Cup is a good way to broach the subject of sin and God's plan to forgive sin. The author includes a parent's guide in the back of the book for just this purpose. The allegory is pleasing and starts out well, but breaks down during the reading. There are "friends" who travel with the Prince until he becomes disheartened and then they drift away. The friends are not explained and if their purpose is to show the utter aloneness with which the Prince faces his task, they lack luster to do so. The same message could have been painted without the introduction of these friends. The question that the Bible student in me wants to ask is, "Are they angels or the disciples?"


The surrounding story is rather inadequate in this case as well. The conclusion that medicine tastes bad because some things are bitter, and then multiplying the bitterness to remind us of the price that was paid for the people, is a stretch. Grandpa doesn't seem to address Ella's question in this book. To keep the audience from missing the main point of the book (which has little really to do with how bad medicine tastes) we hear Ella say, "I know of another Prince who died for his people."


My advice to the general public is that you will have a hard time enjoying this book. For members of the church community, this book will be a good reinforcement of what you are teaching your children at home. I give The Prince's Poison Cup three reading glasses.


--Benjamin Potter, September 30, 2008