Book Details:
- Author: R.C. Sproul
- Illustrator: Justin Gerard
- Category: Children’s Books
- Publisher: Reformation Trust (2006)
- Binding: Hardcover
- Page count: 40
- ISBN#: 9781567690781
Recommendation:
- Review Date: 12/31/10 by Bob Hayton
- Rating: Must Read
Review:
Have you ever wondered why stories have such power to move us? Why children sit mesmerized when they hear a fairy tale, and why people inevitably share their own personal stories when they get together?
Stories move us because we are part of a bigger story, “The Story”. As Christians, we know the beginning and the end of that story, and all its major plot twists and turns. We don’t know exactly how our life story will fit into it, but we have faith that it will.
R.C. Sproul has the gift of storytelling, and has written several stories for children. In The Lightlings, Sproul tells “The Story” by means of an allegory. He casts the world as peopled by lightlings, children of the King of Light. He depicts the fall, and their flight into darkness. He then paints a beautiful picture of a baby full of light, who is to be the Light of the World. This allegory is applied to children well by Sproul’s setting it as a story told to a child wondering why he is afraid of the dark. The answer is a tale told by his grandfather, and then applied to the child’s own circumstances at the end of the book.
The story is beautiful and has numerous points of contact with the true Biblical story of creation, fall and redemption. At the end of the book, several discussion questions are listed with Biblical verses in a “For Parents” section. These points don’t exhaust the allegory but open it up to those who may be more unfamiliar with the Biblical meta-narrative depicted in the tale.
The illustrations by Justin Gerard are stunning. He captures light well, which is necessary in illustrating this particular story. The pictures are attractive to kids of all ages, and depicting the lightlings as fairies helps the story compete with other children’s tales that remain ever popular.
Christian parents must seek to get as many Christian resources as possible into the hands of our children. This book will provide opportunities to discuss the Gospel with children of all ages, particularly those in preschool and elementary school. An audio version of the book is available, as is an animatic DVD telling of the tale. And if you like this story, Sproul has other allegorical children’s books available as well.
I wish more children’s books today were like The Lightlings. The power of the story is not as often used as it should in capturing the hearts of our children. I cannot recommend this book more highly. If you have children, it is definitely a must have tool for the Christian parent.
Author Info:
R.C. Sproul is a respected teacher, theologian, and pastor known for his unique ability to clearly communicate deep, practical truths from God’s Word. He is founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries, featured on the international radio and television broadcast “Renewing Your Mind”, general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, executive editor of Tabletalk magazine, and author of more than sixty books, including the children’s books The King Without a Shadow and The Priest with Dirty Clothes. He serves as the senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida. R.C. and his wife, Vesta, happily enjoy their ten grandchildren.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Reformation Trust Publishing for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
Additional Resources:
- Book Excerpt: Available here
- Book Trailer: Accessible here (for the animatic DVD and audio book editions)
- Other Book Reviews: Available here
- Purchase Links: Amazon.com, Westminster Bookstore or directly from Reformation Trust. (Westminster Bookstore also has a bundle deal on 3 of Sproul’s kids books, which includes this book.)
- Author Website: Here
- PDF Copy: Download a PDF copy of this review
