Quest for God's Hidden Creatures
by Tom Bazow; illustrated by Warrine Bazow
Published by In HIS Time Publishing(to come)
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart
Easter's almost here and Christian children's writer Tom Bazow's first book, Quest for God's Hidden Creatures: The Legacy of the Doors, will make the perfect gift for all your little bunnies.
Parker Finnegan has been having a weird dream for several nights in a row. Now it's time for his dad, Troy, to explain the significance of the dream. Readers travel back to when Troy was Parker's age. We go on the wild, incredible journey he was forced to go on and read about the insightful things Troy learns about the world--and more important, about himself.
Troy meets Zeke, a Tree Traveler, who is on a secret mission to teach Troy and his sister, Elizabeth, how their actions have repercussions long afterward. Zeke first appears as a rainbow-hued fish. But he is able to transform into whatever creature is most beneficial in transporting the children to the different parts of God's world that aren't visible to the naked eye. Zeke takes the kids to meet the Denizens of the Dirt; the Gillmen, the Clan of the Clouds; and Zeke's own Tree Traveler society.
The story is actually a flashback framed a dream. For adults, this would never work, but for children, it's ideal. One of the things that I like about Quest for God's Hidden Creatures: The Legacy of the Doors is the way the chapters are divided. A middle-school reader will have no difficulty in following the format and each chapter ending will encourage young readers to continually move forward. I also liked that adults can read it to younger children and teach them the things that Troy learns the hard way.
The illustrations are simple and captivating line drawings that add an extra depth to the story that will help parents explain to younger children the meanings of Troy and Elizabeth's adventures.
Armchair Interviews says: The imaginative storytelling and description added up to one--or--several fun evenings away from the television set, video games, and whatnot.