If you’re a Christian mom or Bible class teacher looking for a fresh, engaging way to walk children through the Bible, you’re going to want to check out The Rhyme and Reason Series by Catherine Zoller.
This series caught my attention with its fun concept, bold illustrations, and clever use of rhyme – and I recently got to meet the author and was gifted three titles to review: Genesis, Matthew, and Leviticus.
Let’s dive into what makes these books stand out – and why one in particular surprised me in the best way.
What is The Rhyme and Reason Series?
Written by Catherine Zoller and beautifully illustrated by David Wilson (a.k.a. Mr. Sketches), this children’s book series aims to summarize entire books of the Bible in a way that’s fun, easy to understand, and faithful to Scripture. The text is written in whimsical rhyming couplets – think Dr. Seuss meets Bible storytelling – making it both catchy and memorable for kids.
Each page includes bold illustrations that make the text come alive and scripture references so you know exactly what section of scripture is being summarized. I was impressed by the care taken to present the content and events of the Bible books in accurate order!
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In fact, when I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Catherine Zoller, at a conference, it was obvious from conversation with her that she had a deep respect for the word of God and how it is represented. She was passionate about including details to make her books accurate like representing Daniel to be an elderly man at the time of the lions’ den.
While the series is primarily designed for kids, older children – and even adults – can benefit from the strong overview and Biblical clarity found in each title. In fact, this series makes for a wonderful introduction to the Bible even for adult Christians such as new converts. Catherine has a gift for taking complicated scripture and boiling it down to the most important topics – all in rhyming poetry!
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A Note About Doctrinal Differences
While I appreciated the overall tone and content of the books, I did notice a few doctrinal differences from our family’s understanding of Scripture. The author appears to be Protestant while we are non-denominational, and there were several lines that gave me pause. However, I found these moments opened the door for important conversations with my kids and didn’t detract significantly from the value of the books as a whole.
A Standout Title: Leviticus
Of the three titles I reviewed, Leviticus was hands down my favorite – and I never thought I’d say that about Leviticus! Kudos to any author who can make this complex, law-heavy book engaging and understandable for children. Amazing! The illustrations in this volume also contributed significantly to making the Levitical laws understandable and relatable.
This volume does a fantastic job drawing out the key themes of holiness, obedience, and sacrifice, while also pointing forward to our great high priest Jesus through meaningful connections to the New Testament.
The Leviticus book covers:
- The five main offerings (burnt, grain, peace, sin, guilt)
- The priesthood and their clothing
- The tabernacle furnishings and utensils
- The story of Nadab and Abihu
- Clean vs. unclean laws (animals, people, diseases)
- Feasts and festivals with New Testament foreshadows:
- Passover → Crucifixion
- Unleavened Bread → Lord’s Supper
- Feast of Firstfruits → Jesus’ Resurrection
- Pentecost → Holy Spirit & Gospel Sermon
- Feast of Trumpets → End Times & Our Resurrection
- Day of Atonement → Judgment Day
- Feast of Booths → Heaven
- The Holiness Code and moral commands
- The Sabbath, Sabbath Year, and Year of Jubilee
There’s a lot packed in here, but it’s presented with clarity, fun pictures, and a strong emphasis on how the Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus. I can’t recall ever seeing another children’s picture book teaching about the book of Leviticus – so this is definitely a keeper!
How We Used the Rhyme and Reason Series Books
While the illustrations are colorful and engaging, the books contain quite a bit of text per page. For younger children, like my six-year-old, I found it helpful to break the reading into smaller chunks—just a few pages at a time. She did, however, really love looking at and laughing over the humorous pictures on her own!
The rhyming text is playful, but some lines were conceptually challenging for my younger kids to fully grasp in one sitting. Also, some of the vocabulary was also a bit higher level and took some explaining. But that doesn’t mean these books aren’t good for littles – quite the contrary! I’m all for exposing young kids to new vocabulary, especially Bible words and themes. Spreading the reading out over several days made it much more digestible and sparked thoughtful discussion, allowing the new vocabulary and ideas time to soak it and be reviewed.
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Older kids, on the other hand, may be ready to read the whole book in one sitting but may still have questions about the new vocabulary introduced throughout. My 11-year-old really enjoyed reading the books on her own and I loved the thought provoking questions it prompted! She also really got a kick out of the humorous illustrations.
So, how you choose to use these books depends greatly on the age of your child and the book you are reading. The themes in Genesis and Matthew were a lot more familiar to my kids already than Leviticus! As a big-picture person, I love how these books help kids cement in their minds the overall themes of entire books of the Bible at once.
Genesis: The Rhyme and Reason Series
The Genesis book offers a fantastic overview of all the main stories included in this foundational introductory book of the Bible. From creation to the fall, the flood, the tower of Babel, and the story of the famous patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph – this book tells it all! This is where it all began! And these Genesis stories are ones we definitely want our kids to know and cherish.
Who These Books Are For
These books are a great fit for:
- Christian moms who want to add interesting, Scripture-rich resources to their home Bible studies
- Sunday school and Bible class teachers looking for teaching supplements or storytime material
- Families seeking a new way to introduce Bible structure and storylines to kids
- Older children or even new Christians who need a big-picture overview of the Bible
- Younger kids as an introduction to the books of the Bible and its themes
Even though they’re written for children, I found myself learning and appreciating the thoughtful summaries – especially in the more complex books like Leviticus. I love how it boiled the complicated ideas down into the main themes.
Matthew: the Rhyme and Reason Series
The Matthew book humorously begins with the book of Luke as it chronicles the Jesus story. Quickly pivoting into the Matthew content, it details the life of Christ, his teachings, parables and his miracles. It concludes with the timeless story of Jesus’ death on the cross, his resurrection, and his instructions to go spread the gospel.
As with the others in the series, the Matthew book has bold, vibrant pictures paired with rhyming poetry that summarizes the text of Matthew.
Teach Creatively
The Rhyme and Reason Series is a unique and creative resource to help children (and adults!) understand the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. While not a replacement for reading the Bible itself, these books are a fantastic tool to spark interest, lay a foundation, and create meaningful conversations about God’s Word!
The books provide a unique way to teach kids an overview of entire books of the Bible at one time and hide even more of God’s word deep in their hearts. I’ve never seen anything else quite like these books. For Christian families and teachers, they make a great addition to the family bookshelf and reading time!
Grab a copy and see!
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