Deputie Tribe: New Biography Series for Kids Review

My oldest girls LOVE to read! Fortunately I'm not the mom that has to say, "Get off the TV!" or "Would you put that tablet down?!". I'm the mom that has to say, "Really? You need a book in the bathroom or at the dinner table?". I am not complaining and am thankful for all the hard work we put into making this the problem we face. My children literally consume books faster then I can feed good books to them!

Ahavah and Alecia were blessed to review Who Was Jonah? and Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? by Barbour Publishing. These books are part of their Kingdom Files series.

This review will be done by them! I hope you enjoy it :)

Ahavah's review of Who Was Jonah?

Alecia's review of Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus?

These books are quick easy reads that are character studies of a person in the Bible. They are formated with a feel that you're reading a government profile of a person. These books focus on what the Bible says about each person and doesn't include extra biblical thoughts with the exception of well-known historical or cultural facts to give a fuller picture of what the scriptures describe.

Here is an example from Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? :

When the book was talking about Jesus being left in the temple, it explains that Jesus was probably celebrating his Bar Mitzvah.

The book has several "Clues" segments that offer applications and thoughts for the reader to keep track of what they are reading. These are simple, yet deep applications and thoughts that I greatly appreciate.

I like how the author describes how Mary must have been feeling as she was traveling. He doesn't superimpose his ideas, but helps give a clearer picture of the severity of the situation young, pregnant was facing. Even I was challenged to view the over recited tale in a new light as I reflected on the words on these pages.

Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? zeroed in on Mary's obedience and trust in the Lord. I love how the text explained that the life Mary ended up living was probably never what she would have imagined, but she followed the Lord's plan for her life regardless.

Since this book was about Mary, I was nervous as to how the author would portray her: was she just an obedient humble woman God chose to bear her son or was she some sinless being that is to be worshipped and glorified? Thankfully, this book hit it spot on:

"He (Jesus) was setting the example that even though she was His mother, Mary would not be treated differently than any of God's other children... And even though Jesus rebuked Mary (told her seriously that He had come to do God's will), she was confident in her relationship and worth in Jesus..." Page 47

I hope giving details of Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? gives you a taste as to what you can expect from any of these books from the Kingdom Files.

Here is the Power Up my daughter mentioned in her review from Who Was Jonah?

At the conclusion of each book is a set of "Power Up" points. These are deep, applicable points that a child can really chew on. I was so in love with these power points! However, I wish the author sprinkled these throughout the book as if they were a several course meal instead of a thanksgiving feast. Because they were all crammed in the back of the book, my children tended to want to skip over them once they finished the main story. I believe there are two ways these can be incorporated better:

(1) Place one "Power Up"s after each chapter or so

(2) At the end of each chapter put a note as to which "Power Up" to go read from the back of the book

These changes would make the "Power Ups" easier to systematically digest.