Book Review - Simon and the Easter Miracle

This is not the Biblical story of Easter, but rather a loosely historical fiction story told from the perspective of Simon, the man who carried Jesus’ cross up the hill to Golgotha.   It’s the tale of Simon’s trip into the market to sell his wares, why he was chosen to carry the cross for Jesus, and how he discovered that a miracle had happened.  But it never tells of Christ’s resurrection.  And it only describes Jesus as a man preaching a message of peace.

If you’re looking for a folktale related to the Easter story, you will appreciate this book.  If you’re looking for a tool to teach your children about the miracle of Christs’ resurrection, you will be disappointed.

My favorite parts of the book were the two final illustrations.  You can feel the beauty and energy on the pages, and I would love to see more of illustrator Anna Luraschi’s work.

If you do read this with your children, use it to introduce the gospel story of Easter from the Bible (Matt. 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21) and share the real Easter story – how Jesus lived a perfect life, suffered through a horrible death in order to pay the penalty for our sins, and conquered death when he rose again on the 3^rd day.  Share about the miracle of God bridging the gap between our sins and a holy God, and that he wants to live in fellowship with us each day on earth, as well as in heaven for eternity.

FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for a fair and honest review.