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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
I've read this many times since I was a young girl and am always encouraged every time I read this book!
Read this for school and actually really liked it. It was adapted very well for children and has a lot of interesting allegories.
Probably most impressive is that this was written by a man who was imprisoned for preaching without a license and wrote the story on milk caps.
Probably most impressive is that this was written by a man who was imprisoned for preaching without a license and wrote the story on milk caps.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
The boys and I have been reading this through out the year. IF I had let them we would have finished the book in a week. We all enjoyed it very much.
I received a free review copy from the publisher of this newly illustrated edition.
First off, the illustrations and personification of animals is just impeccable. My kids (ages 5-12) well are pulled in by the illustrations immediately, and I too lingered over each picture. Most pages have some small illustration, and the short length of the chapters is ideal for reading aloud.
There is so much to love in this allegory of the Christian life. So much truth about the challenges along the way, the need to cling to what is true, and the faithfulness of the King. Particularly vivid to me:
-Christian’s awareness of the burden of his sin, his need to have it removed at the cross
-how the King always watches over his pilgrims, bringing them safely home no matter what disaster befalls them
-the fear and anxiety along the narrow road, and how it is often hard to tell which is the right way
-the visualization of death as a river was stunning and poignant, especially as each pilgrim is called to cross at different times, and nearly always alone
-the lure of the world, how it is purposefully deceptive, and how prevalent spiritual warfare is in our lives
A few things stuck out to me as incorrect theologically, with need to be addressed as I read:
-Christian’s burden is removed at the cross, but not Christina’s and her siblings (I guess they are considered “too young” but we all need Jesus)
-it seems that suicide is considered a loss of faith in Jesus, an unforgivable sin
-only the male characters ever fight against the enemy or are given armor
-much is made of the unhelpful sway of the wicked, and characters are repeated told not to associate with anyone who isn’t of the king (perhaps evangelism is limited to just the evangelist? Not biblical, however)
I still found this book incredibly encouraging and I read through tears streaming down my cheeks more than once. It is powerful, yet it is flawed. That’s how this world is, though. And instead of saying a book like this is all good or all bad, I think it’s far more beneficial to us and our kids to lead them through with discernment and biblical wisdom.
First off, the illustrations and personification of animals is just impeccable. My kids (ages 5-12) well are pulled in by the illustrations immediately, and I too lingered over each picture. Most pages have some small illustration, and the short length of the chapters is ideal for reading aloud.
There is so much to love in this allegory of the Christian life. So much truth about the challenges along the way, the need to cling to what is true, and the faithfulness of the King. Particularly vivid to me:
-Christian’s awareness of the burden of his sin, his need to have it removed at the cross
-how the King always watches over his pilgrims, bringing them safely home no matter what disaster befalls them
-the fear and anxiety along the narrow road, and how it is often hard to tell which is the right way
-the visualization of death as a river was stunning and poignant, especially as each pilgrim is called to cross at different times, and nearly always alone
-the lure of the world, how it is purposefully deceptive, and how prevalent spiritual warfare is in our lives
A few things stuck out to me as incorrect theologically, with need to be addressed as I read:
-Christian’s burden is removed at the cross, but not Christina’s and her siblings (I guess they are considered “too young” but we all need Jesus)
-it seems that suicide is considered a loss of faith in Jesus, an unforgivable sin
-only the male characters ever fight against the enemy or are given armor
-much is made of the unhelpful sway of the wicked, and characters are repeated told not to associate with anyone who isn’t of the king (perhaps evangelism is limited to just the evangelist? Not biblical, however)
I still found this book incredibly encouraging and I read through tears streaming down my cheeks more than once. It is powerful, yet it is flawed. That’s how this world is, though. And instead of saying a book like this is all good or all bad, I think it’s far more beneficial to us and our kids to lead them through with discernment and biblical wisdom.
Some books demand a film adaptation or a miniseries--This book demands a puppet show from a tired Sunday school teacher.
Again, more of a 4.5 but I’m rounding up because reading this with my daughters has been a wonderful experience. We started this way back in September and have been reading a couple chapters a day in our morning devotional time. We have also been filling out the Adventurer’s Guide that goes along with it. It has led to so many wonderful discussions and I am so glad we read it together.
Fantastic!!! I did not care much for Bunyan's classic but Helen Taylor's retelling is absolutely delightful!! I'm sure it's one we will come back to in a year or two. I do think this book begs to be read aloud and enjoyed as a family.
I have read the illustrated Pilgrims Progress many times, starting as a child and feel a special connection to that book. This version is my husbands special version of Pilgrim Progress (neither of our versions is the full classic Pilgrim Progress, but versions adapted for kids and young adults,) so I read it at his request. It is very good, but I guess you’ll just like you first Pilgrim the best. Little Pilgrims journey is full of great imagery and meaning. I don’t think anyone could read it without finding a lesson that applied to their own life.
Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor is a retelling of Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. The language has been simplified and the characters adapted to be more accessible to children. The characters may still need a little explaining to younger children, but most make sense without too much assistance. As in Pilgrim’s Progress, we start in the City of Destruction following “Little Christian” as he travels from the city to the Cross and finally to the Celestial City.
The story is told without any lessening of the characters. We still feel their struggles and see them stumble, be rescued, fall, and get up again. Little Christian and his companions slowly make their way towards the Celestial City, encountering many of the issues that a Christian has to face in their walk with Christ – doubt, despair, pride, worldly wisdom, and so on. Here those traits are introduced as people and are seen as a fatal flaw. At times Christian is tempted to follow or join them and always pays for those failings when he does in some way.
As with Pilgrim’s Progress, there are two stories – Little Christian and Christiana. Both follow the original story as faithfully as can be expected in an adaptation. My daughter was captivated by the story and couldn’t wait to see what the next trial or rescue would be. She was pleased when Christian finally made it to the Celestial City and entered into his rest.
My Thoughts: I think this is a pretty faithful re-telling of the story. The characters remain largely unchanged. The language is significantly more accessibly than the original, and it can be read by a late Elementary age child without too much assistance. I’d definitely be ready to help with concepts or ideas as they come up because this is sure to raise some questions. If you want a version of Pilgrim’s Progress that can be read more easily or by a child, I’d recommend this. Of course, remember that it’s an allegory and not meant to be taken literally at any point, but that’s part of the charm of the original and this version.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a preview copy of this book with no expectations on the part of the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by anyone else.
The story is told without any lessening of the characters. We still feel their struggles and see them stumble, be rescued, fall, and get up again. Little Christian and his companions slowly make their way towards the Celestial City, encountering many of the issues that a Christian has to face in their walk with Christ – doubt, despair, pride, worldly wisdom, and so on. Here those traits are introduced as people and are seen as a fatal flaw. At times Christian is tempted to follow or join them and always pays for those failings when he does in some way.
As with Pilgrim’s Progress, there are two stories – Little Christian and Christiana. Both follow the original story as faithfully as can be expected in an adaptation. My daughter was captivated by the story and couldn’t wait to see what the next trial or rescue would be. She was pleased when Christian finally made it to the Celestial City and entered into his rest.
My Thoughts: I think this is a pretty faithful re-telling of the story. The characters remain largely unchanged. The language is significantly more accessibly than the original, and it can be read by a late Elementary age child without too much assistance. I’d definitely be ready to help with concepts or ideas as they come up because this is sure to raise some questions. If you want a version of Pilgrim’s Progress that can be read more easily or by a child, I’d recommend this. Of course, remember that it’s an allegory and not meant to be taken literally at any point, but that’s part of the charm of the original and this version.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a preview copy of this book with no expectations on the part of the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by anyone else.