The story of Jonah is one of the most well known in the entire Bible. If you have children and you go to church at all, they have probably heard this story more than once–and most likely have heard it over and over.
That’s why when I saw The Whale Tells His Side of the Story: Hey God, I’ve Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I’m Gonna Throw Up! 
They always say not to judge a book by its cover–but in this case you can very well do that. The fun, funky, silly vibe that you immediately sense through the cover of The Whale Tells His Side of the Story and its illustrations is exactly what you get through the entire story. The target ages are listed as 4-8 but the short, funny blips of text in the book are just right for Amber and Tyler at 2 1/2 and 5 right now. The story starts off with two funny references to Moby Dick and Pinochio which will (probably) go over kids heads but that I appreciated.
The only things that you might not enjoy about this book you should already pick up on by just looking at it. Some Christians might draw issue with the fact that the fish is represented as a Whale throughout the book (in the Bible it just says that God had a fish swallow Jonah–doesn’t specify what kind). And the funny tone could come across as slightly irreverent if you prefer your Bible stories to have more than a serious that silly feel to them.
For those who enjoy a Veggie Tale variety of silly twists on Biblical stories to shake things up this book will be perfect to add to your collection!
I enjoyed the Parent Connection feature (sneak peek above!!!!) in the book which provided Bible verses and encouragement to dig deeper past the silliness and further explore the Biblical account of Jonah. I also found the twist of the whale disobeying God as well to be a super clever one.
This book releases tomorrow, May 1, 2013 (you get a sneak peek–lucky you!!!) so be sure to go and pre-order The Whale Tells His Side of the Story from Amazon! If you think you’ll love it then you’ll be happy to know that it’s the first in a series of funny twists of Biblical accounts!
Do you enjoy funny takes on Biblical stories or do you prefer a more serious account of them for your kids? Let’s talk about it!
One lucky reader will win a copy of The Whale Tells His Side of the Story: Hey God, I’ve Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I’m Gonna Throw Up! for themselves!
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The funny takes are a great way to get children interested in Bible stories
I do enjoy funny takes as they capture children’s attention and then keep it. It also helps them to remember the characters they read about.
Very true–all very good and important!!! 🙂