The title of this book alone is enough to captivate almost any child. It sounds like a swashbuckling adventure story, not an account of a couple of Christian guys from two thousand years ago! In reality, this story is, remarkably, both.

Too often, I think, adults read the miraculous Bible stories of the early church and fail to be as blown away by them as they should. There is no danger here that kids will make the same mistake. They will love the captivating storytelling and fun illustrations, as each page draws you on to the next. They will be amazed by the earthquake, the jailbreak, the snoring and the singing. By the end, they will truly appreciate what Jesus’ first followers went through because of their faith in Him, and also the incredible redeeming power that faith has to offer.

What I appreciated most of all, however, has to be the super simple three step exposition of the gospel, which is repeated throughout the book as Paul and Silas share their message. After a couple of times through, my three year old was saying it for himself – which has to be a good sign! And the ending’s gentle encouragement for the reader to talk to their friends about Jesus is wonderful too.

As an aside, it is also delightful to see Bob Hartman’s words encouraging a new generation. I still have and love his earlier book 'Angels, Angels All Around’ from when I was a child myself, and it’s great to see his passion for sharing the gospel with young minds hasn’t waned in the years in between!

This book is available from The Good Book Company.

Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books