Peter's First Easter

by Walter Wangerin Jr.

In a companion volume to their bestselling Mary's First Christmas, author/illustrator team Walter Wangerin, Jr. and Timothy Ladwig once again bring biblical times to life. In Peter's First Easter, they tell the story of Jesus's last days on earth through the eyes of one of his disciples. In a conversational tone, disciple Peter tells the story of Judas's betrayal and his own shameful denial of his savior in his time of need. Lively, full-color pictures illustrate the sometimes gruesome, sometimes joyous events of Jesus's crucifixion, resurrection, and forgiving of Peter. Wangerin's retelling of the earthly relationship of Jesus and Peter is ideal for families to read together at Easter or anytime. The humanity in the story will touch young readers as they begin to understand the significance of the life and death of Jesus. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter END

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Christian, Biblical Fiction

Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Walter Wangerin Jr. is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on the issues of faith and spirituality. Starting with the renowned Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's writing career has encompassed most every genre: fiction, essay, short story, children's story, meditation, and biblical exposition. His writing voice is immediately recognizable, and his fans number in the millions. The author of over forty books, Wangerin has won the National Book Award, New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year Award, and several Gold Medallions, including best-fiction awards for both The Book of God and Paul: A Novel. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University.

Reviews

[Lindsey Goetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Walt Wangerin & love this book. A beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, imaginative retelling of passion week from Peter's perspective. Reading this book will be a Holy Week tradition for our family for the next several years. It is divided into several short chapters which makes it perfect for spreading out over a few days. Especially good for using alongside Holy Week services to help engage children.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter's POV of Jesus' last supper, the agony at the garden where Jesus was later arrested and sent to be judged; the Crucifixion at Golgotha and later the Resurrection of Jesus. This book broke my heart and put it back together. I always get sentimental when I read about the death at Calvary.
Peter, the first Pope, was so sad and remorseful after he had denied Jesus in a way that he couldn't even face Him but God knew his heart and forgave Peter, the rock of his church. St. Peter, pray for us, that our names are in the book of Life.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken into 10 short chapters, this is a fantastic family read-aloud! I really appreciated the easy, flowing writing style and the illustrations were incredibly life-like and compelling.

Ages: 4 - 12

Cleanliness: The word "idiot" and "bl**dy" are used.

#easter #christian

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Margaret Mary]

The prose was a little awkward but I really liked the illustrations.

[Mary Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is great to share story about Peter with children. I love it.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesus' death and resurrection from Peter's perspective.