THE GREAT ESCAPE:
The Story of the Exodus
Retold by Tim Lock
Onwards & Upwards. 32 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 788 159 906
The story of the Exodus is an engaging one and this writer has done a brilliant job of retelling it and making it accessible and meaningful for children.
Aimed at 5- to 7-year-olds, the book uses wonderful rhyme to tell the story of the ten plagues and the passing through the Red Sea. The earlier chapters of Exodus (including the Israelites’ slavery, Pharaoh’s killing of the baby boys, and the raising up of Moses) are mentioned only briefly, allowing the book to focus on the rescue from Egypt. The story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations – I particularly liked the facial expressions as the people react to the different plagues and then the Israelites’ rescue.
Well pitched
The book is well pitched for the age group with the length and language used being realistic for the intended audience. The tenth plague with the death of the firstborn and the drowning of the Egyptians in the sea is also handled well, as it could be a cause of distress for some children of this age group.
The first section of the book uses a repeated refrain, reminding the reader of God’s sovereignty in the story and His plan to show everyone that He is the Lord. This truth certainly comes across in the Exodus narrative, but can be missing in children’s retellings of the story: it was helpfully shown as a central truth through its repetition here.
Pointing clearly to Jesus
The book’s other big strength was its link forward to Jesus. This section didn’t just feel tagged on, or a perfunctory page at the end; instead it was given a longer section which linked back through both language and themes to the Exodus story. Parents reading with their children may need to discuss more with them at the end what this means for the individual child, but the book has paved the way well for this. Reading the book would be a great starter for conversation about the rescue we need, which is available in Jesus, and how we spread Jesus’ fame as His rescued people.
