The Story of Easter by Gwen Ellis Illustrated by Steve Smallman

Read and Share: The Story of Easter  is written to explain the story behind Easter to young children, ages 4-8. It starts with Jesus and his followers heading to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and covers The Last Supper, Jesus' betrayal by Judas, his crucifiction, resurrection and ascent to Heaven.

My four year old daughter enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is written in a way that holds a child's attention and is easy for them to understand. The artwork is colorful and entertaining while helping to explain the story.
There are little question and information boxes on the bottom of each page which add to the storytelling experience. My four year old was not very interested in them but a slightly older child might be more inclined to try to answer the questions. The end of the book has several pictures from the story shown in a random order so the child can test their memory by putting them in chronological order.
A great addition to the book is the accompanying DVD which compliments the book perfectly. It is educational and the stories are easy for young children to understand. The animation is simple, keeping the focus on the stories.
The only thing I personally would have liked to see was a little more explanation of what Passover is. In my opinion the story seemed to start a little abruptly for a child who may not have already learned about Passover.
Overall my daughter and I really enjoyed this book and DVD, it is a very welcome addition to our ever growing library and is often included in our bedtime story rotation.



Disclaimer: I was provided a a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.