Amon's Adventure -- Lent Book Review

 Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is the time Christians prepare for the most amazing miracle and gift from God, the forgiveness of sins and living with God. Jesus came to the earth as a human to suffer for all the sins of humankind. He died because of people's sins and then on Easter morning was resurrected. During Lent people often give up something to share in the suffering and sacrifice. This past December we enjoyed reading a storybook for Advent called Ishtar's Odyssey (the fourth in a series of Advent books). I noticed that Kregel Publications had a storybook for Lent as well, Amon's Adventure by Arnold Ytreeide.

Amon's Adventure picks up the story with Jesus as a grown man. Amon is the son of two of the characters from the Advent books, Jotham and Tabitha. Their friend Bartholomew is also there (a disciple of course).  Hazel wished Ishtar was in the story as well, but I tried to explain that the wise men would not have returned. Unlike the Advent books, there is not a story for each day of Lent. There are 28 chapters, so there is plenty of time to still get it and read it before this Easter!! At the end of each chapter is a scripture quote and a thought on the scripture and the chapter relating it to every day family life. We love this book!! Although Hazel kept calling Amon Ishtar, she was always asking me to read it. Amon is a smart young Jewish man (he turned 13 and passed the necessary tests to be considered a man in the temple). He is also an inventor has had made many wonderful things for his family and friends. Throughout the story Amon struggles with asking and trusting God to help with his problems. He also has a hard time believing that Jesus is the Messiah. 

This book is perfect to help anyone focus on how God fits into one's life in this busy and chaotic world of ours. It really shares so many of the stories from the Bible with the familiar characters as well as things that make the reader think about how we react to various situations and whether we are really following God's wishes or trying it our own. Hazel and I both enjoyed this book and will be reading it again this Lent. I hope you will check it out.

A few years ago I did a round-up of Lent crafts and activities.  

 Amon's Adventure helped Hazel really understand a bit more about Lent and some of our customs that go with it. I now am going to get some of these great crafts out and use them again with her.