The Visual Christmas Story

The Visual Christmas Story

Author : Ian Long
£6.99

The Christmas story as you've never seen it before!

Colourful, creative and engaging, this picture book is the ideal Christmas gift for children and families who want to share the Christmas story.

Title The Visual Christmas Story
Author Ian Long
Description

Colourful, creative and engaging, this picture book is the ideal Christmas gift for children and families who want to share the Christmas story.

Using the Blob style of illustration popularised in the Blob Tree publications, The Visual Christmas Story opens the Bible for readers and non-readers alike, of all ages and abilities, and is suitable for use at home, church or school. The Bible text appears opposite verse-by-verse illustrations that encourage emotional and intuitive engagement with the narrative. Includes the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Jesus.
Details
  • Product code: 9780857467430
  • Published: 21 September 2018
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 96
  • Dimensions: 148mm wide and 148mm high

Colourful, creative and engaging, this picture book is the ideal Christmas gift for children and families who want to share the Christmas story.

Using the Blob style of illustration popularised in the Blob Tree publications, The Visual Christmas Story opens the Bible for readers and non-readers alike, of all ages and abilities, and is suitable for use at home, church or school. The Bible text appears opposite verse-by-verse illustrations that encourage emotional and intuitive engagement with the narrative. Includes the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Jesus.

A new way of engaging with Christmas which does not depend upon the ability to read or understand the written or spoken word. The book does contain biblical texts, but our ability to engage with the book does not depend upon our ability to read the text. The Methodist Recorder, November 2018
Ian Long is the illustrator of the Blob Tree resources, which are used around the world to help people of all ages to express their feelings, working hand in hand with Pip Wilson. He has been a youth worker, pastoral assistant and primary school teacher. He is married to Jane and they have two daughters.

The Reader website. Review by Alice Burdett

Although this is an ideal Christmas gift for a young child, it is rather more than a stocking filler, for it will intrigue and inform the whole of the family. Ian Long's colourful and skilful cartoons work on two levels. First, they illustrate faithfully the biblical narratives, giving additional life to the age-old stories by showing the emotions of those involved: the perplexity of Zechariah, the shock and joy of Mary, the fearful wonder of the shepherds, the anger of Herod. But secondly, and subtly, Long shows the love of God, and his overarching divine plan for humankind, enacted by angels and guided by the Holy Spirit. This aspect of the book is particularly original and rewarding.

The accompanying Bible narratives are not confined to the early chapters of Matthew and Luke. The book opens with prophetic voices from Psalm 72, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah; and it concludes - boldly - with a cartoon portrayal of John 1.1-14, something I would have previously regarded as impossible. The Visual Christmas Story is a lively little book which opens up the profound mystery of the Incarnation in a way that will delight both readers and non-readers alike.

Reviewed by Alice Burdett

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