The Wisdom of Solomon -- Book Review with Crafts and Activities

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I haven't shared a Christian themed book in a while. Today I thought I would share one about King Solomon. You may remember Solomon is the son of King David and becomes the third king of Israel. He is known for his wisdom which is a gift from God and building the temple in Jerusalem. The book I'm sharing today is The Wisdom of Solomon by Demi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also sharing some crafts and activities to go with the book.

From the Publisher:

In ancient times the legendary wisdom of King Solomon (c. 990-931 BCE) was known far and wide. The Bible recounts that God loved Solomon greatly and appeared to him in a dream saying, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Solomon chose neither riches nor fame, but answered, “Give to Your servant an understanding heart, that I may discern between good and evil.” God was so pleased with Solomon’s response that, besides a “wise and understanding heart,” He gave him “both riches and honor,” so that there should be none “like you among the kings all your days” (1 Kings 3:3-13). Some traditions, both Jewish and Christian, tell that Solomon also received a magic ring from the angel Michael, giving him the power to rule over creatures—Solomon even knew the language of the birds! Award-winning author Demi recounts the extraordinary life of King Solomon, from his meeting with the Queen of Sheba to the building of the great temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. An appendix features a selection of Solomon’s most famous wisdom sayings.

From Me:

This book tells the story of Solomon from his birth until his death but does not share any of the negative sides of his story. It is full of Bible scripture. It shares how Solomon asked God for wisdom and how God was so happy with him that he gave him the wisdom as well as wealth and power. There is a story of the Queen of Sheba visiting him and he shares his wisdom with him. She returns home with the famous Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 as his wisdom. The book tells how Solomon could converse with animals and helped them. It also shares about how Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. The book does share the wealth of Solomon. It describes how the Queen of Sheba was impressed with Israel having soldiers who carried solid gold shields. The temple itself was large and glorious. It shares his death and how his wisdom is preserved in the Bible in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. Then it has pages of illustrations with Bible scriptures labeled as Solomon's sayings. 

The pictures are fun and colorful. The book is well done, but as I mentioned it does not give the complete story of King Solomon. It does not get into his greed, or his many wives and how the wives pull him away from God and convince him to worship false gods and idols. It is however a wonderful book to introduce young children to King Solomon and his stories in the Bible. 

To go with this book, I decided to look for a coloring page of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 which is the wisdom the Queen of Sheba takes back to her country from Solomon and is mentioned in the book. The coloring page (above) is from Coloring Pages for Kids from Mr. Adron.

For an easier coloring page check out this autumn themed one from Flanders Family Homelife (pictured above)or this winter one from Kids Activity Zone. There is an even simpler one to color that is free on Teachers Pay Teachers. 

More Crafts and Ideas to Go with the Book:

I asked for some crafts or activities for King Solomon and only one other blogger replied. It is Ticia Messing from Adventures in a Messy Life with Ticia Messing and Kids. Here are the ones she shared as well as a few I found with some searches.

1) What makes someone wise? A King Solomon Object Lesson from Adventures in a Messy Life

2) What would you ask God for gold, glory, or wisdom? from Adventures in a Messy Life

3) Solomon's Temple Activities from Adventures in a Messy Life

Not Pictured:

4) Solomon Asks for Wisdom from Hands On Bible Teacher has some interesting activities and focuses on where we get wisdom

5) Resource Well offers several lessons and activities. I like the Wise Prayer Hands craft.

6) Bible Crafts by Jenny offers Solomon's Wisdom Chest Craft that is easy for younger kids.

7) Children's Ministry offers two games/activities about Solomon's Wisdom.

8) Bible Fun for Kids has different levels of activities and crafts.