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The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas (Hardcover)

~ (Adapter, Author) "This is how Jesus Christ came to be born..." (more)
Key Phrases: King Herod

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Hardcover, Bargain Price Available from these sellers. Published August 31, 2004	Hardcover, Bargain Price	--	$5.48	$3.50
Hardcover Available from these sellers. Published September 30, 2004	Hardcover, September 30, 2004	--	$5.38	$0.01
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans who loved Smith’s surprise hit The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis or who have enjoyed his popular Web site (www.thebricktestament.com) will relish this curious take on the Christmas story. Wise men out of Legos? A grumpy Lego King Herod who looks as though he hasn’t slept in weeks? The book offers some hilarious sight gags; check out the fairy wings on the Angel Gabriel, or the rapidly protruding Lego shelf that is Mary’s belly. And when Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Ghost will come upon her, standing beside him is a friendly, smiling white ghost figure. Readers will be surprised to see some elements of the tale that are left out of the usual Hollywood renderings; Smith depicts the circumcision scene, for example, with Joseph standing over a very naked baby Jesus with a shiny dagger poised in an opportune spot. Despite the bemused, if cynical, tone that pervades the book, parents should note that not all of it is funny or suitable for small children. There’s a disturbing image of soldiers murdering a male child, per Herod’s decree, in front of his devastated mother; the background shows two decapitated children’s heads rolling in blood. Still, Brick Testament fans will delight in this fresh rendering of another biblical tale, and the book should win Smith some new followers as well.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

With The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis, Brendan Smith reimagined ten classic Bible stories using nothing but LEGO bricks -- and the results were praised by everyone from People and Entertainment Weekly to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (they've recommended the book to their entire congregation!). Publishers Weekly called it 'hilarious' and wrote, 'One rejoices that the franchise possibilities could extend for many years.'
We couldn't agree more. Just in time for the holidays, Quirk Books is proud to present the best-known Bible story of all time: The Story of Christmas. Using verses from the New Testament and a series of elaborate LEGO dioramas, Smith illustrates the birth of Jesus Christ -- from his arrival in the manger to the wrath of King Herod and the famous visit from the three wise men. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who celebrates Christmas!

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Product Details

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books (September 30, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594740127
ISBN-13: 978-1594740121
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #273,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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› Visit Amazon's Brendan Powell Smith Page

Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
King Herod

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Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 1 book:

The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis by Brendan Powell Smith in Back Matter

3 books cite this book:

Primalbranding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Future by Patrick Hanlon on page 57
The Brick Testament: The Ten Commandments by Brendan Powell Smith in Back Matter
Absolute Beginner's Guide to the Bible by Tom Head in Back Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas 3.8 out of 5 stars (17)
	8% buy The Brick Testament: The Ten Commandments 4.3 out of 5 stars (12)
	7% buy LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary 4.4 out of 5 stars (16) $11.87
	6% buy The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis 3.9 out of 5 stars (39)

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the TRUE story of CHRISTMAS, November 29, 2004

By	Super Jaxxon "It's SUPER!" (New York State) - See all my reviews

I have both of these books of lego illustrations and love them both.

These books are NOT satire! They are true, illustrated stories from the Bible. There's a difference between mocking something and being humorous, and I think the Brick Testament on the whole is very respectful of the Bible. I have no problem with illustrating the Holy Ghost in lego.

They're very faithful renditions of the words of the bible.

Yes, there is some blood - but how can you tell the TRUE story of christmas without Herod and the murdering of the firstborns? This isn't about Santa Claus and some commercialzed hijacking of the holiday. This is the true story of christmas, don't buy it if you're looking for rudolf and frosty.

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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny AND Educational Stocking Stuffer!, December 10, 2004

By	Kathleen Mikulis (Millbrae, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just got my copy of "The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas," and really got a kick out of it. Smith is very creative, and I'm still amazed at how he was able to render objects in Lego (frankincense! stockings! a manger! a Christmas tree!). It's a great Christmas gift (it'll fit in a stocking, too!), and good for teaching kids about the real story of Christmas. Bundle this book with a Lego set and you have an awesome gift where they can be inspired to create their own stories in Lego. A budding Brendan Powell Smith, if you will.

Regarding the appropriateness of this book for a younger audience, I went to a Catholic primary school (1st-6th grades), and I can tell you that there is *nothing* in "The Story of Christmas" that wasn't taught to us there. I like the idea of the Holy Ghost being rendered as a smiling ghost, because what better literal representation is there for a child to understand?

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21 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's making a convert out of me!, November 29, 2004

By	Mark P "markmarkmarkmark" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I'll be honest-- I'm Jewish. So I'm more familiar with herring than Herod, and when someone says "Christmas tree" my first thought is, "Oh yeah, the bushy menorah." But even I have to admire the intersection of beauty and brilliance that is this book.

I've seen the New Testament before and comparing it to the Old Testament, well, you know what they say about sequels... But The Brick Testament is the first treatment of the subject that I can really appreciate. It's like those old Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercials: "Hey, you got colorful interlocking blocks in my bible stories!" "Hey, you got bible stories in my colorful interlocking blocks!" In unison: "This is delicious!!!"

Well I don't recommend that you eat The Reverend's latest masterpiece but I do recommend that you thoroughly digest it. Does that seem like a paradox? Can you digest without eating? Well, it turns out you can and it's kind of like the miracle of communion wafers. Read this book and you'll understand what I mean.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Warning: Not for Small Children!
I was very surprised at some of the graphic pictures in this "kiddie" book. The afterbirth underneath Mary at Jesus' birth, the beheaded children with horrific expressions when... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Dawn Osborn

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting oddity but a little raw humor
This was a neat book to give as a holiday gift to a lego buff adult friend of mine. The text is the straight traditional Christmas story but the pictures poke fun in an edgy way... Read more

Published 10 months ago by D. Zhao

5.0 out of 5 stars A creative interpretation of Christmas via LEGOs
If you have a mature child that is a fan of LEGOs, then they will just love this book. It is creatively done with LEGO building bricks and minifigs yet still relays the christian... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Cindy L. English

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Lego fans
I bought this book (and the others by the same author) for my brother who is a huge Lego fan. He actually read them all and loved them, whereas before it was difficult to get him... Read more

Published on October 1, 2007 by S. Chow

5.0 out of 5 stars The Good News
I'm sorry, but I must disagree with the reviewer below (Joshua C. Ternes "Good Guy")...this is not a waste of talent - it is a full embracing of talent. Read more

Published on February 13, 2007 by Jason Winningham

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a childrens' portrayal of the Christmas story ...
Do not assume, just because Legos are involved, that this is a book to share with young children. The Holy Ghost is a frightening character, circumcision is accomplished with a... Read more

Published on February 5, 2007 by A Concerned Mother

1.0 out of 5 stars too graphic for kids
I bought this for my 8 year old son for Christmas and ended up returning it before I gave it to him. Luckily I looked through it before I wrapped it. Read more

Published on January 11, 2007 by janiemkrp

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!!!!!!!!
Purchased for my husband for Christmas. (He works with lego robotics) My kids keep taking off with it and he hasn't even had a chance to read it yet.
Really cool book.

Published on January 9, 2007 by ASmile4U

1.0 out of 5 stars Please re-evaluate your purpose here !!!
I'm saddened that someone with such talent would use it for such a misguided purpose. This could have been an amazing project, but due to the lack of respect to God's word, I view... Read more

Published on May 3, 2006 by Joshua C. Ternes

5.0 out of 5 stars My Lego-fanatic son gave this 5 stars...
...but he says that he likes the Stories from the Book of Genesis just a bit more, if only for the compelling depiction of the flood. Read more

Published on December 27, 2004 by C. Stiles

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