The Jesse Tree

By Geraldine McCaughrean

Book Overview

As Mr. Butterfield carves a Jesse Tree in a dusty old church, a curious young boy distracts him by asking about the various symbols on the tree. Against his inclination, thegruff old man finds himself retelling the familiar biblical tales that trace the family tree of Christ, from the Garden of Eden to Jesus' birth. Under the carpenter's skilled hands, the Jesse Tree grows--and an unlikely friendship begins to take root as well. Geraldine McCaughrean's fresh retellings of familiar Bible events and Bee Willey's whimsical and striking illustrations create a rich and contemporary tale that will captivate readers who know and love these stories as well as readers who are discovering them for the first time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802854036
• ISBN13: 9780802854032
• Release Date: August 2011
• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.4" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Loved

Our family loved this book. I agree with other reviews, there are parts that I would change as well as parts that I would leave out all together (and did discuss with our children as we read the book together), but overall it is a well written book that flows very nicely. The Bible, of course, is the only perfect book, but this is written a manner that draws the attention of young readers and a prudent parent can use the errors as starting points for discussion. Our children are 6, 8, 10, & 10. Perhaps it's better for those old enough to understand the discussions of the small problems.

Disappointed

The idea of this book is wonderful! Make it engaging, have a side story with a grumpy man and a curious boy. However, there's deception. In the story of Noah, the writer wrote, "In fact, God decided he had been wrong to create the human race at all." A complete lie. She also claims that Noah and his wife closed the door to the ark...nope, GOD did. I'm not passing the book on, I'm throwing it away. And we are reading from the Bible for our advent readings.