44 Animals of the Bible by Nancy Pelander Johnson

What does an eclectic mix of animals that include the frog, heron, whale, quail, weasel, ibex and mole have in common? They are all animals mentioned in the bible.  These and many other animals are included in the new children's book, 44 Animals of the Bible by Nancy Pelander Johnson, illustrated by Lloyd R. Hight.  The brushed, water color styled animal illustrations give this small hardcover picture book, a vintage look.  The quality illustrations will appeal to children as well as adult readers.  Each animal featured includes an illustration as well as a short paragraph of text which provides some information about the animal and about its appearance in the bible.  There is also a relevant scripture on the bottom of the page that mentions the particular animal.  Surprisingly there is an entry for a "unicorn".  The Unicorn is actually a horned wild ox.  The reasoning behind this is that the "unicorn" mentioned in the bible most likely was another name for the wild ox. 

This quick little book can be read in one sitting.  It is not intended to be an encyclopedia- each entry is pretty short basic as its purpose is to tie the particular animal to its mention in the bible.  This storybook will appeal to children of all ages and also to animal enthusiasts who just happen to love reading the bible as well.  Some secular readers may find themselves offended at the idea that there may be some stereotypical discrimination of certain animals such as the weasel that will "steal food", the moles that "ruin crops" or the fox, referred to as a "tricky animal". Yet the author uses these common stereotypes in the sense that these negative traits seen in some animals are a consequence of the fall and that there are many ungodly people who exhibit these same ungodly traits as these animals.  As a blogger for Moms of Master Books I received a copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review.   This book is available from New Leaf Press Publishers online as well as from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.