Tower of Babel

by Jon Taylor

Many kids don t know the answers to these questions as biblical knowledge is becoming less and less of a priority in people's lives. This fun format book is a great way to teach kids about the reality of the Babel story and its significance in their lives. The full-color book explains how the different languages and "races" came about and is in a unique format with one large pop-up that stays up as you turn the pages and read the story. The stunning artwork is both beautiful and realistic, as it is based on the actual worship towers that were built in ancient times. This fun tool is a great way to teach the reality of the biblical story.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction

22 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2007

Reviews

[Bethany Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Biblical picture popup book for children, with gorgeous, lifelike paintings and beautifully and simply laid out. I wish I had had this book as a young child, it's simply enthralling!

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not recommend parents purchase this fragile book, at least not as a pop-up. After returning an initially damaged copy and placing it among books to be read with an adult only, ours was damaged again within a week despite gentle care. Holes appeared to the side of the binding on front and back, which we reinforced with packing tape. Then, the collapsing pop-up ripped a page as it folded into the book - we cannot repair that one. Frustrating.

And it's too bad, because the book is good otherwise. Jon Taylor's vivid paintings portray the text, which tries to stick close to the Biblical text and has a reference for each paragraph. There is one liberty that the author takes, with Genesis 11:8-9 "So the LORD scattered them over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel/ Babylon -- because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth." is rendered thus:

"Only people within the same family could understand each other, so family groups moved away from Babel and began to settle in other areas around the world. They left by foot, by cart, and by boat and they took with them their belongings, their language, and their religion." pg 16

and page 17, "The tower was never completed and slowly crumbled over time so that no signs of it remain today. Since then people have built large buildings and cities all over the world, but they never again tried to build a tower like the one that was at Babel."

1) We do not know if the LORD used the language diversion itself to scatter the people, or if He scattered AND supernaturally moved them as well.
2) We do not know if families could understand each other or not.
3) While we know the tower was not finished, we do not know if the tower was completely abandoned or if the city continued to grow around it (which is probably more likely in my opinion).

This is not to say that these lines of reasoning are unreasonable. After all, we read storybooks of Bible accounts to challenge our thinking and stimulate our imagination about what it may have been like, and being forced to review what the Bible says and does not say is helpful. The presentation of this book provided a good opportunity for us to discuss the Biblical text (and it's authority) in comparison.

I liked the author's efforts to highlight the significance of the story of the Tower of Babel, both in the first pages and the closing of the book (including sharing humanities universal need for a Savior on the last page).

I would recommend this book were it not for it's fragile presentation. The pop-up format really adds little to the text, so it's a pity it's included at all. Rather than making it more captivating, it has made the book fragile, over-sized (more difficult to store) and (i would imagine) more expensive. Were it to be offered in a NON-pop-up version, I think families would find the vivid illustrations captivating and I would be happy to recommend it!

Also: The illustrations from this book are used at the Creation Museum for their Babel piece. A DVD set of Creation Museum pieces can be purchased from Answers in Genesis on-line. The "Babel" piece is included on the disk "Six Days and other Biblical Perspectives" which I would recommend as a more durable, if not as accessible, format.

[Vera Godley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Languages of different peoples of the World are fascinating. What seems to one person as simply gibberish or babbling is in fact sensible language to another person. Now did you notice a word in that second sentence that might allude to the book we are reviewing here? Look carefully. Tower of _______..... so now you see it, don't you?

The reality of the Babel story is told in Tower of Babel, Pop-Up and Read Book which is designed for ages 8 and up. It has one large pop-up in the front of the book that remains open while the book is being read. This lends interest and excitement for the young reader and helps him to stay engaged facilitating the process of learning.

Beautifully illustrated in full color, the Biblical account of how the different peoples' languages came about how the confusion the "babel" created resulted in the spread of the peoples separating themselves from those who spoke differently.

An explanation of the actual worship towers built in ancient times is given and how the tower being built in the Biblical account was also a worship tower.

The pop-up feature of the book is nice and is designed to have the book lay flat on a surface with the pop-up remaining in the up position while the pages are turned while reading.

I think children will learn from this beautiful book and it will prove to be a good addition to the home library. Hardcover, 24 pages.

Publisher: Master Books ISBN-13: 9780890514870

I was provided a complimentary review copy of Tower of Babel, Pop-Up and Read Book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to render a positive review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful hardcover book uses the fun pop-up book concept. Unlike other pop-up books, it has only one pop-up at the top of the page that stays up during the entire book. The pop-up is attached to the hardcover binding and the pages of the book are below the pop-up. As with many pop-ups, the first use may require a little coaxing to get it to stay up properly during the reading portion of the book.

Each two-page layout contains full color images, a part of the story of the Tower of Babel, and the scripture reference(s) where that information can be found in the Bible. The book begins right after The Flood and explains how Noah and his family were told to multiply and fill the earth. It then tells the tale of what Noah’s family actually did and the results of their disobedience in the context of the Tower of Babel.

The book concludes by explaining how the Tower of Babel explains different people groups and how, no matter what a person’s skin color, we are all descendants of Noah and thus Adam and Eve. It then shares the salvation message with readers.

It’s a beautiful book with a powerful message.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed or required.