· By Jocelyn Capshaw
Bible Storybooks for Kids: Esther and the Very Brave Plan
Table of Contents
Overview
Esther and the Very Brave Plan by Tim Thornborough, illustrated by Jennifer Davidson, is an alliterative and rhythmic Bible storybook for kids that discusses themes of providence and the plans of God as seen in the story of Esther.
Retelling a true story from the Bible, this book reassures children that God’s plans always come true, even when we can’t see how He’s working.
Suggested Age Range
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is a 24-page picture book for young children ages 2-5. The simple and colorful pictures are perfect for preschoolers, and captivating even for our one-year-old daughter!
This hardback children’s book about Esther is part of the Very Best Bible Stories series by The Good Book Company, which contains 12 books covering a variety of Bible stories written and illustrated by the same team.
Artwork & Design
Jennifer Davidson’s illustrations are simple, fun, and help convey the emotion of the story of Esther. Each character is dressed in one bold color so young children can tell them apart, and their facial expressions help set the mood for each page. I love the background details, and these touches help to add biblical details which the author may not have included in the story.
The font is fun and unique, however, it seems like it could be a bit tricky for early readers. The letters are a little odd as they are different thicknesses and sizes, and I’m not sure how legible young children would find the text.
The writing style didn’t quite resonate with me, especially the frequent repetition. The author uses recurring phrases—like “working, working, working” or “horrible Haman made a horrible plan”—which, while engaging for some, made the story feel a bit tedious to read aloud. Repetition can be great for young children, but I found that the recurring lines and phrases made the story feel longer than it needed to be.
While I absolutely love the artwork, I usually end up summarizing the story of Esther while we look at the pictures, especially since our one-year-old isn’t always able to sit through the full text. That said, you might enjoy the repetition and alliteration, so let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Bible Topics Covered
While the story covers the book of Esther, the author focuses on these key events:
- The king (Ahasuerus is unnamed in the book) needed a queen
- Esther was chosen to be queen
- Mordecai discovered and stopped the plot to kill the king
- Haman hated Mordecai and the Jews and convinced the king to create a law to get rid of God’s people
- Mordecai discovered Haman’s plot and alerted Esther
- Esther went in to speak to the king
- The king rewarded Mordecai for saving him
- Esther’s banquet and the revealing of Haman’s plot
- The Jews being saved and having a feast to celebrate
While some of the more adult themes and violent portions of Esther are not included, nor is the backstory of Vashti and why Ahasuerus needed a queen in the first place, the author does a good job of covering a very detailed and intricate story in a way that makes sense for preschoolers.
Biblical Accuracy
Esther and the Very Brave Plan does a great job at retelling the Old Testament book of Esther.
But there are some minor details that are incorrect. Calling it “Esther’s plan” may not be completely accurate, since Mordecai actually instructed her to speak to the king (Esther 4:8).
The author also says that Esther went in trembling to see the king, but I’m not sure that was the case. Esther knew that what she was doing was against the law, but her attitude was more along the lines of “if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16).
As mentioned earlier, I do like how subtle details from the illustrator help to introduce more biblical details than the author includes in the story. Though Haman is depicted building modern gallows as opposed to more historically accurate ones, most of the illustrations are well-done!
For example, Mordecai is depicted wearing sackcloth, and the king’s scepter is lowered when Esther goes in to see him. These are great extras to point out to your children when reading and looking at the pictures. Sharing extra facts from the Bible is a great way to start conversations, especially during a reread of the book. Here are some conversations you could have with your child while reading:
- “Do you see the clothes Mordecai has on? They look scratchy! God’s people would put on clothes called sackcloth when they were very upset just like Mordecai is now”
- “Do you see how the king has his scepter held out for Esther? You couldn’t go in to talk to the king unless he called you. If you went to see him without asking and he held out his scepter for you, it was ok! But if he didn’t hold out his scepter for you, you would be killed!”
A larger theological issue I have is the way the author’s depicts providence and God’s plans. I recently heard the word providence defined as God’s “provide”-ence—what God provides for us. Genesis 50:20, Joseph gives a good definition of providence when he says that God meant what happened to him for good. Providence is the promise God gives to His people that everything will ultimately work out for our good.
I don’t think we talk enough about providence, but it’s also a tricky subject, especially for a children’s book. If you’re interested, check out this great sermon on the topic of providence!
When we compare providence to miracles, miracles were easy to detect because there was no other way that event could have happened other than it being the work of God. But with providence, we can only suggest that it may have been God. In Philemon 15, Paul said that perhaps Onesimus had run away so that he could meet Paul in prison and obey the gospel, though Paul did not say this for sure.
When it comes to the story of Esther, we know that Jesus was going to be born into the Jewish lineage, so there was no way that God would let Ahasuerus wipe out every single Jew at this time. But we can’t definitively say which events God had a hand in, even though we know God works to care for and protect His people.
The author attributes every single detail that happened in the story of Esther to God’s plan and His providence, but we can only say that perhaps these events were from God. While we can see how God provided, we can’t say for sure that the plot to kill the king which Mordecai discovered—or any other event or detail—was the work of God.
Even Mordecai himself says that if Esther refused to speak to the king on behalf of her people, God would find deliverance elsewhere, but "yet who knows whether" she came to the kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:13-14).
But just like the end of the book says, we can know and teach our children that God is working on behalf of His people and His plans always come true.
Rating & Final Thoughts
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, I give Esther and the Very Brave Plan four out of five stars!
What I liked:
Beautiful, expressive illustrations
Engaging visuals for preschoolers
What I didn't love:
Repetitive writing style
Heavy emphasis on every detail being part of God’s plan
I plan to review other books from this series, so let me know if you’ve read any of them or if there’s one you’d like me to review first!
Have you read Esther and the Very Brave Plan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Jocelyn Capshaw
I'm a Christian wife and mother living in Knoxville, TN and I create Bible resources designed for you!