In The Marvelous Maker we read along our children about, not only the beautiful creation of Our Creator, but also how Adam and Eve fell in sin and how Jesus Christ saves them, atones for them, forgives them, and calls them sons and heirs.

I was happy to read how the author was capable of condensing the gospel story in this book.

Now, Adam and Eve's name were changed, I guess to make them rhyme, that could throw some people off.

I loved the illustrations, too.

I would be happy to recommend this book just noting the name change above mentioned.

The Marvelous Maker
By April Graney
Impressions: The illustrations are bright and fun.
Liked: The verse references hidden in the pictures were fun but needed to be bolder to read.
Disliked: The story rhymes were whimsical but in order for the story to flow while rhyming it became a bit overly poetic=confusing to a preschooler. I wasn't sure why the names were Adamus and Genevieve. It was also confusing.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

I love the illustrations in this book and the rhyming verse, but I was thrown off by the renaming of Adam, Eve, and God. Also, calling God Maker is beautiful but simplistic. God is so much more than just the maker of all things. If I were going to isolate God to one characteristic (which is problematic in itself) that is probably not the one I would choose. I also did not like that the book made it appear for a time the children had lost their salvation. (The Maker's heart was sorely grieved, His children lost who once believed.) That's a deal breaker theology for me so this would be one I would read to my children but not purchase.

With vibrant illustrations and a rhyming cadence this story captures the creation and salvation stories in a fascinating way. It shows how even though the first humans sinned and separated themselves from God, God had a plan to bring them back into the fold.

The reason I cannot give this book 5 stars is that I don't love that the first humans are children named Adamus and Genevieve vs adults named Adam and Eve. I believe that might be confusing theology for some children.

When is the last time a story quite literally captivated you? It pulled you in, captured your mind, and wouldn’t let go. For me, it was the Hunger Games trilogy; before that, Ted Dekker’s Circle series. A children’s picture book shouldn’t be able to create the same feeling, but I can truly imagine that outcome for this new book from B&H Publishing and author April Graney, The Marvelous Maker: A Creation and Redemption Parable. This wonderful book is written as a fantasy story about Adamus and Genevieve (Adam and Eve) and the story takes the reader through the true stories of creation, fall, and redemption with those two as stand-ins for all of humanity. Graney explains:
While the real Adam and Eve died anticipating the promise of a savior, the characters in The Marvelous Maker live through the entire epic tale of the Bible. Adamus and Genevieve represent countless generations of believers who have been delivered from darkness and brought into the kingdom of light through Jesus Christ. Their story represents all of us, in the sense that every one of us has sinned and is living in a fallen world in need of redemption.
The result is a beautiful book, in form and content, that will engross your child in the story of the Bible. Monica Garofalo’s illustrations are beautiful, and they fit the tone of the book perfectly. The vocabulary is high enough that just the words will be a learning experience for older children, but somehow my 5-year-old followed along well enough that it prompted a great conversation.
My 5-year-old Eliana has been asking lots of questions about God recently. There was a version of “How come God doesn’t always answer my prayers?”. Then she asked, “When we breathe or walk or talk, does that come from God or does that come from our bodies?” (That was a fun conversation.) Then, after asking several questions about The Marvelous Maker, we stop three-quarters of the way through the book because she asks me to pray with her to ask God to “be her boss”. We had a long conversation about it and my wife and I decided that she probably wasn’t quite ready yet to accept Jesus as her savior and Lord of her life, but God is working in Eliana’s life.
I pray that The Marvelous Maker will create space for these conversations in your precious days with your children.
I received a review copy of The Marvelous Maker courtesy of B&H Publishing with a special thanks to Jenaye White, but my opinions are my own.