In this vibrant retelling of the story of Joseph for young children, emphasis is placed on how God worked in Joseph’s life through “very strange” dreams.
Joseph and the Very Strange Dreams (Very Best Bible Stories series) by Tim Thornborough, illustrated by Jennifer Davison. The Good Book Co., 2025. 24 pages.
- Reading Level: Picture books, ages 0-4
- Recommended For: Ages 0-4
Joseph had some very strange dreams as a boy and they pointed to his brothers bowing down to him. If you’ll recall, his brothers weren’t too crazy about that. It didn’t help that Jacob, Joseph’s father, loved Joseph so much that he gave him a brightly colored coat. And one day, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.
Joseph and the Very Strange Dreams keeps the emphasis on Joseph and the dreams he had as well as those he interpreted for the butler and baker in Egyptian prison and then Pharaoh himself. Although pictured in a rainbow coat, the coat of many colors isn’t emphasized in this version. Rather, a refrain repeats occasionally throughout, reminding readers of the main point:
The Lord has a plan and
he’s working it out.
He speaks words we can trust,
so there’s no need to doubt.
This is very much a book for preschoolers, and the text emphasizes all the opposites (including an explanation at the beginning of what “opposites” are). Opposites (like good or bad) are in bold. Illustrations are eye-poppingly colorful and feature characters that look like children. Depending on your preference, you may enjoy that or not. I appreciate that characters look like they could be Middle Eastern or North African.
Bottom Line: All in all, this is a cute, colorful Bible storybook that would be at home in a church nursery for toddlers, a preschool Sunday school classroom, or on rotation in your own home.
Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader
- Review: Jonah and the Very Big Fish is another story in this same Very Best Bible Stories series.
- Review: My First 123 Book of Bible Numbers and God Counts (starred review) are also fun for this age group.
- Review: The One O’Clock Miracle by Alison Mitchell is part of another series of Bible storybooks we enjoy.
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