The story of this book is the story of the whole Bible (but a lot shorter!).
The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross is a beautifully illustrated telling of man's rebellion against and God's gracious plan of redemption. As all good stories should, it starts at the beginning:
A very long time ago, right here in this world, there was a garden.The author, Carl Lafteron, brings the story of the gospel right down to the level of a three- to six-year-old. Honestly, the simplicity and completeness is something that would be helpful to many adults. Lafteron sums up man's problem in this way:
They decided they wanted a world without God in charge. God calls this "sin". Sin spoils things. So sin has no place in God's wonderful garden....
God said, Because of your sin, you can't come in.Of course, the story later unfolds the remedy for our sinful situation with much celebration.
God says it is wonderful to live with him. Because of your sin, you can't come in. BUT I died on the cross to take your sin...Without being Seuss-y, Lafteron writes in an almost sing-songy way. After a few readings, I think parents will find their kids "reading" some of this book for themselves.
Cataline Echeverri's colorful illustrations wonderfully set the mood throughout the book. Echeverri is obviously gifted in using color and style to reinforce the prose. I love that the pictures are designed to evoke a biblical-era feel where appropriate, yet bring in a world-art feel, as well. This adds to the cross-cultural appeal of the book.
I recommend this book not only for parents and grandparents (what a great Easter gift!), but also for churches to make available to their preschool teachers to read aloud. The book itself is printed on high-quality, sturdy paper and is hardbound.
This is the fourth in the Tales that Tell the Truth series, all of which were illustrated by Echeverri and was published by The Good Book Company.
I requested and received a copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review. This post contains affiliate links.
