Jonah and the Great Big Fish by Rhonda Gowler Greene {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

 My kids are both crazy about sea creatures right now. They love them. We are always talking about sharks and whales and other massive fish - so the story of Jonah is a natural tale to teach them right now! They may have been a little young to fully appreciate Jonah at Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson earlier this summer - but a picture book is definitely the right approach.

With children ages three and almost two, when it comes to books, we have a few requirements. They have to be cute. They have to be short enough to keep their attention. And if they rhyme and/or don't annoy me when I have to read them for the fifteenth time in an afternoon, they get super special bonus points.

This book brings to life the story of Jonah and his decision to flee from God's call to go to the people of Nineveh. Rhonda Gowler Greene's text has a lovely rhyme scheme. This book is a great length for reading during playtime, bedtime, or anytime in between!

This new edition features brand new illustrations by Margaret Spengler, and for my young kids, I much prefer them to the original version (we checked the original book out from our library a few months ago). These pictures are bright and colorful. Almost every page has a little animal peeking out from somewhere - my daughter loves pointing them out.

My only wish is that the book featured the full story of Jonah. It ends when Jonah is deposited back on land and heads off toward Nineveh. A few more pages would enable the full telling of the story, including the repentance of the people of Nineveh. But, that's a minor complaint in an otherwise very adorable book.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.