The Very First Easter

Paul Maier, a professor of Ancient History, brings his expertise to bear in explaining the significance of the Easter events and subsequent Christian traditions. As in the companion book The Very First Christmas, a father and mother read the Bible with their son Chris, while he peppers them with questions about the meaning and historicity of the Easter story's events. They explain why Jesus rode a donkey into town, how the Jewish Passover became the Christian Lord's Supper/ Holy Communion, how much Judas' thirty pieces of silver was worth, why Jesus (as a man) prayed to God (when he was God and man at the same time), why Judas kissed Jesus, and other details that help an elementary audience engage the Easter story from a historical perspective. The author does make a couple of interpretations that aren't universally accepted. He states that Jesus miraculously appeared in the locked upper room (Luke 24:36 and John 20:19) because after the Resurrection He was able to appear and disappear at will. The biblical text doesn't explicitly make this claim, and some scholars believe it's possible Jesus simply unlocked the door and walked in. Maier also states that during the Ascension, "Jesus moved into a higher dimension of reality -- beyond our human ability to see." This might be true, but it would have been simpler to just say the cloud that hid Jesus was a cloud of glory, often associated in Scripture with the presence of God (Exodus 16:10, Exodus 19:16-20, Luke 9:28-36). Still, most of the content is both factual and enlightening, and children and adults will learn quite a bit from it. Ordaz's artwork is impressive, although the Biblical characters look more European than Middle Eastern. (Someone with a better art-history background than mine might be more appreciative of the artistic conventions.) Maier is a good writer, but Chris's conversation with his parents is rather contrived, and the information could have been effectively presented without the question-answer setup. That said, this is a great resource for helping elementary-aged children transition from simply rehearsing the Easter events to understanding their historical and spiritual significance.

After reading and enjoying The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier, I wanted to read his story of the first Easter. I'm glad I did. This book has the same format as the Christmas one--a full page colored painting by Francisco Ordaz on each right hand page, and the narration and a smaller illustration on each left hand page. The story is also handled in the same way. Christopher is now ten instead of eight, and his father, a forest ranger, is present this time to tell the story along with his mother. Christopher wants to know more about Easter than just the eggs that they paint. and his parents tell him the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Christopher asks the questions that a child would wonder about, and his parents answer them using their own words and quotations from the Bible. In The Very First Christmas I objected to the brown tones of the paintings. In this book the brown tones work better. They seem right for the scenes of Good Friday, but I still would have preferred brighter colors to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection. Regardless of that, this is still an excellent book to remind children of the meaning of Easter, and all Christian families would do well to read it together at that time.

I love this book, as well as The Very First Christmas, by Maier, and another book The First Christmas, also by Maier. The telling of the Easter story for children is wonderfully done. The language is smooth, illustrations are gorgeous,and I found it appropriate for a broad age range. Difficult concepts are explained really well. My 9 year old enjoyed it, even though he doesn't read picture books, and when read aloud, my younger children learned from it and enjoyed it. However, here is where you need to know your audience- my younger children still believe in the Easter Bunny (yes, they know the real reason behind Easter, but we also celebrate the bunny and eggs). On page one, the story begins with the main character stating "Remember when I used to believe in the Easter bunny?". Maybe it's not a big deal, but it caught me off guard and I wasn't intending to do away with the Easter bunny. The Christmas book talks about "real" stories vs. fairy tales, but doesn't come out as boldly with a proclamation. Anyway, I still love this book, and still read it to my younger kids, I just leave out that line. It isn't an issue with older kids, reading it on their own, because they will have figured out the Easter bunny by then. I do highly recommend this book for teaching about Easter!

This book is very well illustrated book, also very attentive to detail. Honestly it is too intense for a four year old and maybe a five year old. My four year old loses attention because it is very long read for a young children's book. I personally think the art work is beautiful, but not a good bedtime story unless you plan on reading for 45-minutes to an hour. It is well written and will be great for my daughters when they are older.

It is a great book! I got it for my wife to use in her classroom. The reason for the three stars is that it came dirty. I understand that I purchased it used, but you couldn't have cleaned the nasty grime off the cover before sending it? (see picture)

Got for my 3-year-old's Easter basket this year, but when I got it in the mail I decided to wait until he is older. It's definitely more suited for an older child because of the number of words. That being said, the book is excellent! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and everything is doctrinally sound about the story. I am definitely ordering the other "First" books by Paul Maier.

This isn't biblically correct on some things. If you know your Bible, really know it, you would catch them but most people just take someone else's word for it. Jesus said, Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Good Friday and then Jesus rising before dawn on Sunday morning? Nope, people need to take God's word for what it says-at face value, but someone ignorantly or deceptively changed the story from what it really says right in the Bible. Jesus had to have been crucified before Friday. # days AND 3 nights, if you asked a kid they would get it, but once an adult changes the story everybody kids and adults a like will follow along in faith of a lie without questioning it. I was disappointed and I don't think that this story is a good representation of the Passion week/Easter. I was hoping and expecting Biblical accuracy, my mistake. Pretty nice pictures but that's not what I bought it for.

The story is very lengthy - way too much text for the age group of 4-8 that it was recommended for. The child in the story asks some great questions and the answers are quite detailed and interesting but more appropriate for older children. In terms of classroom use (which was what I was looking for) I don't think I'd use it with anyone younger than 3rd grade. As beautiful as the illustrations are, I wish Jesus had more of a middle-eastern look.

This is a wonderful Easter book for kids. The illustrations are excellent. The explanations are very well written. Even Adults can learn from this book.

The book is written within the story of a young child discovering the Biblical account of the Resurrection of our Lord. There are accurate Biblical texts throughout the narrative in italics. It is a book that can be read to a child and allow an older one to read on their own to discuss with parents or teachers.

Paul Maier, a professor of Ancient History, brings his expertise to bear in explaining the significance of the Easter events and subsequent Christian traditions. As in the companion book The Very First Christmas, a father and mother read the Bible with their son Chris, while he peppers them with questions about the meaning and historicity of the Easter story's events. They explain why Jesus rode a donkey into town, how the Jewish Passover became the Christian Lord's Supper/ Holy Communion, how much Judas' thirty pieces of silver was worth, why Jesus (as a man) prayed to God (when he was God and man at the same time), why Judas kissed Jesus, and other details that help an elementary audience engage the Easter story from a historical perspective. The author does make a couple of interpretations that aren't universally accepted. He states that Jesus miraculously appeared in the locked upper room (Luke 24:36 and John 20:19) because after the Resurrection He was able to appear and disappear at will. The biblical text doesn't explicitly make this claim, and some scholars believe it's possible Jesus simply unlocked the door and walked in. Maier also states that during the Ascension, "Jesus moved into a higher dimension of reality -- beyond our human ability to see." This might be true, but it would have been simpler to just say the cloud that hid Jesus was a cloud of glory, often associated in Scripture with the presence of God (Exodus 16:10, Exodus 19:16-20, Luke 9:28-36). Still, most of the content is both factual and enlightening, and children and adults will learn quite a bit from it. Ordaz's artwork is impressive, although the Biblical characters look more European than Middle Eastern. (Someone with a better art-history background than mine might be more appreciative of the artistic conventions.) Maier is a good writer, but Chris's conversation with his parents is rather contrived, and the information could have been effectively presented without the question-answer setup. That said, this is a great resource for helping elementary-aged children transition from simply rehearsing the Easter events to understanding their historical and spiritual significance.

After reading and enjoying The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier, I wanted to read his story of the first Easter. I'm glad I did. This book has the same format as the Christmas one--a full page colored painting by Francisco Ordaz on each right hand page, and the narration and a smaller illustration on each left hand page. The story is also handled in the same way. Christopher is now ten instead of eight, and his father, a forest ranger, is present this time to tell the story along with his mother. Christopher wants to know more about Easter than just the eggs that they paint. and his parents tell him the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Christopher asks the questions that a child would wonder about, and his parents answer them using their own words and quotations from the Bible. In The Very First Christmas I objected to the brown tones of the paintings. In this book the brown tones work better. They seem right for the scenes of Good Friday, but I still would have preferred brighter colors to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection. Regardless of that, this is still an excellent book to remind children of the meaning of Easter, and all Christian families would do well to read it together at that time.

I love this book, as well as The Very First Christmas, by Maier, and another book The First Christmas, also by Maier. The telling of the Easter story for children is wonderfully done. The language is smooth, illustrations are gorgeous,and I found it appropriate for a broad age range. Difficult concepts are explained really well. My 9 year old enjoyed it, even though he doesn't read picture books, and when read aloud, my younger children learned from it and enjoyed it. However, here is where you need to know your audience- my younger children still believe in the Easter Bunny (yes, they know the real reason behind Easter, but we also celebrate the bunny and eggs). On page one, the story begins with the main character stating "Remember when I used to believe in the Easter bunny?". Maybe it's not a big deal, but it caught me off guard and I wasn't intending to do away with the Easter bunny. The Christmas book talks about "real" stories vs. fairy tales, but doesn't come out as boldly with a proclamation. Anyway, I still love this book, and still read it to my younger kids, I just leave out that line. It isn't an issue with older kids, reading it on their own, because they will have figured out the Easter bunny by then. I do highly recommend this book for teaching about Easter!

This book is very well illustrated book, also very attentive to detail. Honestly it is too intense for a four year old and maybe a five year old. My four year old loses attention because it is very long read for a young children's book. I personally think the art work is beautiful, but not a good bedtime story unless you plan on reading for 45-minutes to an hour. It is well written and will be great for my daughters when they are older.

It is a great book! I got it for my wife to use in her classroom. The reason for the three stars is that it came dirty. I understand that I purchased it used, but you couldn't have cleaned the nasty grime off the cover before sending it? (see picture)

Got for my 3-year-old's Easter basket this year, but when I got it in the mail I decided to wait until he is older. It's definitely more suited for an older child because of the number of words. That being said, the book is excellent! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and everything is doctrinally sound about the story. I am definitely ordering the other "First" books by Paul Maier.

This isn't biblically correct on some things. If you know your Bible, really know it, you would catch them but most people just take someone else's word for it. Jesus said, Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Good Friday and then Jesus rising before dawn on Sunday morning? Nope, people need to take God's word for what it says-at face value, but someone ignorantly or deceptively changed the story from what it really says right in the Bible. Jesus had to have been crucified before Friday. # days AND 3 nights, if you asked a kid they would get it, but once an adult changes the story everybody kids and adults a like will follow along in faith of a lie without questioning it. I was disappointed and I don't think that this story is a good representation of the Passion week/Easter. I was hoping and expecting Biblical accuracy, my mistake. Pretty nice pictures but that's not what I bought it for.

The story is very lengthy - way too much text for the age group of 4-8 that it was recommended for. The child in the story asks some great questions and the answers are quite detailed and interesting but more appropriate for older children. In terms of classroom use (which was what I was looking for) I don't think I'd use it with anyone younger than 3rd grade. As beautiful as the illustrations are, I wish Jesus had more of a middle-eastern look.

This is a wonderful Easter book for kids. The illustrations are excellent. The explanations are very well written. Even Adults can learn from this book.

The book is written within the story of a young child discovering the Biblical account of the Resurrection of our Lord. There are accurate Biblical texts throughout the narrative in italics. It is a book that can be read to a child and allow an older one to read on their own to discuss with parents or teachers.

Absolutely beautiful illustrations. A bit too wordy and lengthy for my 7 and 4 year olds but with a little impromptu editing while reading, I've made it work to shorten it.

The pictures are beautiful, the perfect book to teach the story of the resurrection of Christ. Lots of scriptures. I love it

Story retold through modern day child who is 10 or so. He no longer believes in Easter bunny but it reading the bible with his family and retelling the real Easter story to you the reader. Its a good book, I just edited out the not believing in Easter bunny stuff as I had little ones listening.

The copy arrived in good shape. I want sometime to share this book with my one grand child.

Lots of words, almost too complicated for a child.

Beautiful pictures, but not really 100% biblically accurate. Closer than most. Pictures are amazing and keeps small children engaged and focused.

the [pictures are stunning but too mature for small children. this book would be best suited for children 10 and up as the story is really really long as well. it makes for a great visual as you summarize

It would have been better if my granchildren were older. They are between 6 and 8 and it was above their heads. I'm saving it

Good book, but Very wordy. More appropriate for 4th+ grade.

I bought this book for my 4 year old and realized that it was really long and very intense for her age. I will save it for when she is older.

Read it every year!

Grandchild loved it!

I try to get books for each holiday, especially books that explain the reason for the holiday. This is excellent for family reading and understanding.

This book has such beautiful illustrations. When I read it to my granddaugther she was captivated by it. I highly recommend this book for not just children, but for any age.

Very realistic pictures. Interesting way to present this information.

Most beautiful kids' Easter Book ever!

Item as described. Fast delivery. Thank you.

In depth, better than I expected

Perfect

I got this book to better explain to the kids the true meaning of Easter, something desparately needed in our culture of giant, chocolate-bearing bunnies. This book was an excellent idea in theory, but (unpopular opinion as I know it will be) the writing was just plain lame. Why does everything have to be "cool" when it's written for children. Ok, Christopher may have had a few good questions, but he also says, "ewwww," when Judas kissed Jesus. For this point alone I would have chosen not to read it to my boys - I don't want them thinking that there's anything wrong with 2 people kissing out of love and friendship, 2 men or otherwise and yes, even today (ok, I realize that's not why Judas did it, but that's beside the point). But there's more: The story starts out that little Chrissy doesn't want anything but "true" stories anymore. No more fairy tales for him. Again, why would I want to even introduce an idea as ridiculous as this - I want my boys reading and enjoying fiction for the rest of their lives and refuse to plant a dangerous idea like this into their heads. Overall, I found the text patronizing to children and chose not to read it at all to them. Granted the artwork was beautiful, but not worth the risk of putting drivel in front of my boys. (The artwork and the idea are what got the 3 stars.) We just went right to the bible and told the story and answered questions from there.

I recently read this with my 6 year old son. He is familiar with the story of Holy Week, the Passion & Resurrection, but the context and illustrations really brought the story alive for him. The author juxtaposes the Passion with Jesus raising the son of the widow of Nain. This was a powerful comparison that captured my son's imagination and led to lots of questions. We read the story over a few days and had many pauses for discussion, especially the choices of people in the narrative. Like previous reviewers I found the parents' dialogue with their son a bit contrived but my son didn't. He seemed to relate to and enjoy the context of dying Easter eggs. I also would have preferred illustrations that better captured the ethnicity of the people being portrayed, especially since everyone looked a bit like members of a 90's grunge band. As a Catholic I was pleased with much of the terminology used and explanation of the Last Supper and institution of the Eucharist. I think it is unfortunate that the roles of Mary, Mother of God and St. Peter are not mentioned, but given the author's faith, and the limitations of an already detailed book, this did not detract significantly from the narrative. Overall an detailed and touching retelling of the first Easter!