Customer Reviews

The Real Story of the Exodus

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The Real Story of the Exodus is the third and final book in Dr. Paul L. Maier's Old Testament trilogy for children. Previous works in this trilogy are The Real Story of the Creation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2007) and The Real Story of the Flood (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2008). This new book follows the layout found in earlier books from this series, which is a prologue, twelve two-page chapters, and an epilogue. The prologue briefly recounts the story of the Hebrew people from Adam through Jacob, explaining how they came to be enslaved in Egypt. Each of the two-page chapters has a relevant picture on one page and a scripture passage along with a portion of the Exodus story on the opposite page. The first ten chapters recount the events that take place throughout the book of Exodus. Chapter eleven touches on Numbers 13, where the spies are sent in to Canaan. Chapter twelve brings the story to a close referencing Deuteronomy 34:10 and the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua as well as the events surrounding the death of Moses. Finally the epilogue offers some additional insight, explaining that the Exodus story is the central event in the history of God's people in the Old Testament, relating the salvation message inherent in the Exodus story and its parallels to Jesus' death on Mount Calvary.

I would highly recommend this book for parents wanting to introduce their children to the Biblical story of the exodus. Parents and children alike will be engaged by Dr. Maier's writing and captivated by Gerad Taylor's beautiful illustrations. While the reading level for this book is ages four to eight, it should be an enjoyable read for children as old as eleven or twelve. I very much wanted to give this book a five start rating, but am only going to give it four stars due to an error on the map found in the epilogue and on the back cover of the book. The error is that the Dead Sea is inadvertently labeled as the Red Sea. I was very surprised that this mistake wasn't caught during the editing process and I hope it will be corrected in future printings of this book.

Author / Illustrator information:

Paul L. Maier is a professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University and a much-published author of both scholarly and popular works. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Gerad Taylor, born in Auckland, New Zealand, has worked for over twenty years as a freelance illustrator for the design, publishing, and advertising industries. His clients include Coca-Cola, Heinle Publishing, Hinkler Publishing, Lion Nathan, and many others throughout the world. Gerad lives with his wife, Anne, and children Madeline, Charlotte, and Max in Greytown, New Zealand.

Disclaimer:

This book was provided by the kind folks at Concordia Publishing House for review.

Dr. Paul L. Maier is a professor of ancient history, and has written many books, including a best seller for adults. But it's his books for children I most admire. In The Real Story of Exodus, the conclusion of his trilogy about Old Testament times, he delivers what I've come to expect from him: An accurate and interesting story that's solidly biblical.

The book begins with a brief summary of what happened after the great flood, and why God's people were looking forward to the Promised Land. Then Maier retells the story of Moses, beginning with his dangerous beginning in the Nile River, to his awe-inspiring encounter with God and a burning bush, to his hesitant obedience to God when he approached the Pharoah, to the first Passover, to the parting of the Red Sea, to his recieving of the Ten Commandments, to the building of the portable tabernacle, to his death on the edge of the Promised Land.

"So ended the life of one of the greatest men in history. Although only one man, Moses had filled the roles of eight! Not only was he the leader of the Israelites, he was also their liberator, lawgiver, high priest, military general, strategist, judge, and representative before God. No one else could have accomplished all this, because, of course, it was God who made the entire exodus possible."

The book's epilogue reminds us that only Jesus Christ can truly save those who are wandering the earth in their sin.

What I Like: I appreciate that the book is broken down into one-page chapters, so even kids with shorter attention spans can enjoy this story, bit by bit. As always, Maier adds interesting historical details and often uses a writing style that sounds like a grandparent spinning a yarn for his children. The illustrations by Gerad Taylor add immensely to this book. They are rich in color and light, and offer plenty of details to interest children.

What I Dislike: Maier's writing style isn't the most modern; sometimes it's a bit wordy. Still, this doesn't make my four year old less interested in his books.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Kristina Seleshanko, Managing Editor

Christian Children's Book Review