James A Letter to the Scattered

James – A Letter to the Scattered (A Graphic Novel Translation)
By Earnest Graham
Published at Olive Branch Books – a Peace Hill Press imprint

About the book

For two thousand years, a single ancient letter has inspired deed of world-changing bravery and compassion.

In James: A Letter to the Scattered, Earnest Graham’s dramatic illustrations follow women and men around the globe and through time. Follow hunted Christians into Roman catacombs, accompany errands of mercy in modern hospital corridors, see courage and kindness amidst the carnage of the Thirty Years’ War, witness the fight for justice in 19th-century Mexico, and march beside protestors in 1960s Alabama.  A Letter to the Scattered, the first in a series of graphic novels from Olive Branch Books, brings the ancient wisdom of the Epistle of James to a new audience.

Who is Earnest Graham?

The Rev. Earnest Graham is an illustrator and a pastor. He and his family live in Virginia.  See more of his work at http://earnestillustrations.com/.

My Thoughts

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel will bring the scriptures from the book of James relevant through historical events going from the 1st century to the 21st century.  The illustrations are stunning and follow the text found in the Bible.   I will admit that I sat down with the graphic novel and my NIV Bible to compare the text and though my version of the Bible was slightly different I could see that the author has taken the Scriptures word for word in the graphic novel.

This graphic novel based on the book of James is a great way to introduce the kids to this specific book of the Bible and also give them visualization based on historical events through time.  For example, when in James 4:1-10 it mentions wars the illustrations depict Central Europe during The Thirty Years War in the 17th Century. 

I think putting Christian graphic novels in the hands of kids and teenagers is a wonderful way for them to read the Scriptures and visualize it at the same time.   Our family loves comic books and we have our share of Christian version of some of the Bible stories whether it is with Jesus, a graphic novel Bible or an Archie version of the prodigal son.   Contrary to the popular belief, comic books could be a great way for a young person to practice reading.  Not everyone enjoys reading books and novels.   My husband developed his reading by doing it with comic books when he was younger (he is dyslectic) and this gave him the confidence at some point to try out reading novels eventually. 

So if your child is having issues reading the Bible on a regular basis, I strongly suggest that you consider investing in graphic novels that will bring the Scriptures to live for him/her.   It will make a huge difference for a struggling reader.

James: A Letter to the Scattered is available for purchase at your favourite boosktore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to Olive Branch Books for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Parables of Jesus

The Parables of Jesus (A Graphic Novel Translation)
By Earnest Graham
Published at Olive Branch Books – a Peace Hill Press imprint

About the book

A hurricane howls towards a house built on sand. A nighttime intruder creeps onto enemy land. A boy leaves home to seek adventure. Robbers menace a lonely traveler. And the unexpected happens.

This new and innovative graphic-novel translation of the parables of Jesus puts a modern twist on an ancient art form: stories that begin with mundane events and end with a glimpse of a deeper reality. Earnest Graham’s illustrations, ranging in style from West African kente and Japanese prints to vivid modern realism, interpret these well-loved stories for the next generation of readers.

Who is Earnest Graham?

The Rev. Earnest Graham is an illustrator and a pastor. He and his family live in Virginia.  See more of his work at http://earnestillustrations.com/.

My Thoughts

Before I start with this review, let me tell you that our family loves comic books.  We are the kind of people who own DC/Marvel comics as well as some Star Wars in the mix.   Also included in our comics are numerous Christian comic books and some Bibles in comic book format.   Now that I have told you this, you should be surprise to hear that I was extremely excited when I stumble on two new titles of Olive Branch Books that presents New Testament stories to kids of all ages.   This blog post present one of the two titles currently available at Olive Branch Books which is an imprint of Peace Hill Press.

The Parables of Jesus is a graphic translation of some of the parables that Jesus shared with his followers.  These are the parables you will find in this graphic novel:

• The Parable of the Sower of Seeds (Matthew 13:1-9)
• The Parable of the Good Seed and the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30)
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like Yeast (Matthew 13:33)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Treasure (Matthew 13:44)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Merchant (Matthew 13:45-46)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Net (Matthew 13:47-49)
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Land Owner (Matthew 20:1-16)
• The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)
• The Parable of the Bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13)
• The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)
• The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)
• The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)

Each and every single one of the parables is beautifully illustrated and will bring the parable to life under your eyes.  Here are examples of the Parable of the Sower of Seeds.

This graphic novel is great to show your kids about what the text in the bible really means.  It will allow you and your children to visualize the word of Christ and open discussion about it.   The graphic novel doesn’t provide the explanations of these parables but it is a great way to open your Bible and talk with your kids about the meaning of each of them.

As I am writing this review, my sweet daughter Jasmine has taken off with the book to sit in the living room and discover the other illustrations of the graphic novel.   She is sitting on the sofa and admire the drawings inside the book.  Together we read the Parable of the Sower of Seeds.

Most of the illustrations included in this graphic novel have been done with a more modernized style which makes the application more realistic in the 21st century.  For example, in the Parable of the Lost Son, the son leaves the household on a motorcycle.   My daughter seeing this asked me if there was motorcycles in Jesus’ time which I told her that no there were no motorcycles back then but the illustrations were made in a modernized way to illustrate how it can be applied to today’s generation of people.   She liked the fact that it was being applied to today’s world.

Another way you could use this graphic novel in your homeschool would be to encourage your kids to illustrate their own version of the parable as an art and writing project.    Comic illustrations is a great way to encourage kids to be creative.  Or you could ask them to draw or paint part of the parable.

The Parables of Jesus is a a great book to have in your personal library in order to teach your kids about the parables that Jesus said to his disciples while he was on Earth.  The fact that the illustrations are adapted to life in the 21st century makes it more realistic for kids of all ages.

The Parables of Jesus is available for purchase at your favourite boosktore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Olive Branch Books for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.