Not a Favorite

I'm rather disappointed in Max Lucado's recently released children's book The Tallest of Smalls. The main problem, in my opinion, is the wording choices. The lines don't seem to flow easily, some words are over kids' heads, and sometimes sentences are all twisted up to make them fit a rhyme even though it makes them difficult to understand or read. The tale is mediocre at best. The book tackles the valid teaching point of not trying to fit in with the "in crowd" and instead finding value in your relationship with Jesus/God. However, the approach taken to make that point is not easily understandable or overly inspiring. Jesus is thrown into the picture at the very end, and very briefly. It doesn't seem especially memorable or high-impact. It's kind of a cheesy, poorly worded tale that didn't capture my kids' attention when I read it to them. The best thing going for the book are the gorgeous illustrations. Maria Monescillo's artwork is truly incredible. It's too bad the story isn't up to the same level as the stunning art on the pages.