Jonah and the Very Big Fish by Tim Thornborough

Jonah and the Very Big Fish has fun with language and offers the full story of Jonah–there’s more than the whale!

Jonah and the Very Big Fish (Very Best Bible Stories) by Tim Thornborough and illustrated by Jennifer Davison. The Good Book Company, 2019. 24 pages.

• Reading Level: Ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 0-8

Jonah retellings are nothing new in Bible storybook land. But this Jonah story does a little something different. First, Thornborough plays with words. A lot. Kids who are fascinated by words will enjoy the extravagant use of them in this book. For instance, when God sends the storm, “the sailors were horrified, terrified, petrified, jelly-died.” Adjectives galore!

Second, this Jonah story offers cute multicultural illustrations. We are thrilled to see so many publishers aiming for more authentic illustrations in Bible storybooks. After all, these stories took place in the Middle East with Middle Eastern (and African) individuals!

Jonah’s bad attitude, Ninevah’s repentance, and God’s forgiveness come through loud and clear in this retelling. This version would make a terrific church library resource or a Sunday school classroom resource (or, perhaps one for your own home library).

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5/5
• Artistic/Literary Rating: 4/5

Related Reading from Redeemed Reader:

• A Reflection: Why Your Church Nursery Needs a Library
• A Book Review: God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell and Catalina Echeverri
• A Reflection: “Early Literacy with Preschoolers” by Gladys Hunt (part of “Hive” collection!)

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here. **If you click through the link, it does not obligate you to buy–you can see more of the books in this series at this link and you will also find some of the interior art of the book, including the page I quoted above!