What do you think?
Rate this book
Jesus Moments
David: Finding Jesus in the Story of David
Help 4-7s learn how David points to Jesus with this beautifully illustrated Old Testament storybook from Alison Mitchell, the award-winning author of Jesus and the Lions’ Den and The One O’Clock Miracle . Moments in David’s story when David is a little bit like Jesus are signposted with symbols that children need to spot, helping them to understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. This fun, interactive resource will give children skills to read the Bible as they connect the stories and learn that the whole Bible is about Jesus. Great for parents or grandparents to give children aged 4-7. Can also be used as a homeschool resource or for children’s ministry in church. This is the first book in a series called "Jesus Moments," which looks at how Old Testament characters point to Jesus.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2024
11 people want to read
About the author
Alison Mitchell
78 books21 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Alison Mitchell is the Children's Editor at The Good Book Company, where she has written a range of Bible-reading notes for children and families. Alison is also involved with youth training events around the country, including the Growing Young Disciples training days and Sunday School training mornings.
Alison Mitchell is the Children's Editor at The Good Book Company, where she has written a range of Bible-reading notes for children and families. Alison is also involved with youth training events around the country, including the Growing Young Disciples training days and Sunday School training mornings.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 15, 2024
The story of David is my oldest’s favorite Bible story and this book was a wonderful retelling of it!
I loved the way that the book begins by introducing the concept of “Jesus moments,” which are times in Scripture where someone is serving as a type of Christ in some way and pointing towards Him. The hidden crowns indicating a “Jesus moment” were fun to look for as well!
The illustrations in this book are beautiful, and the writing is clear, engaging, and biblical. In addition, there is a gospel presentation and opportunity to respond at the end of the story.
Absolutely loved this book and would love to read more!
Thank you to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the way that the book begins by introducing the concept of “Jesus moments,” which are times in Scripture where someone is serving as a type of Christ in some way and pointing towards Him. The hidden crowns indicating a “Jesus moment” were fun to look for as well!
The illustrations in this book are beautiful, and the writing is clear, engaging, and biblical. In addition, there is a gospel presentation and opportunity to respond at the end of the story.
Absolutely loved this book and would love to read more!
Thank you to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2024
A beautiful, colorful storybook from the Jesus Moments collection for young children. Loved the colors that grabbed my attention and the dialogue that points to Jesus. Interactive questions and activity to keep the young mind engaged and pointing back to Jesus. Definitely a book to be used with a parent and a child.
*𝙈𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.*
𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/
*𝙈𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.*
𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴/
March 5, 2024
The concept behind Jesus Moments: David is that the Old Testament offers a foreshadowing of Jesus, particularly in the lives and actions of other important and messianic figures. David, as the shepherd-king of Israel and ancestor of Jesus fits that description exactly, making his life ripe for comparison with the live of Jesus. This concept is driven by the evangelical desire to connect everything in Scripture to the person of Jesus. I remember being taught in seminary that every sermon, every message, needed to end somehow with Jesus. As I’ve grown as a pastor, I’ve come to no longer accept that as absolutely necessary. Sometimes the narratives and themes of the Old Testament Scriptures just need to be left to stand alone in their own right. We, as Christians, can interpret or view the OT story through an NT lens, but it’s important to note that the purpose of the narrative isn’t to showcase Jesus—neither should we convolute Scripture to find Jesus where he isn’t.
So the success or failure of Jesus Moments: David—Finding Jesus in the Story of David rests on whether or not the finding of Jesus feels natural or contrived. The book begins by saying that some of the oldest stories in the Bible contain “Jesus moments”—moments when someone in the story is a little bit like Jesus. Throughout the story of David, there are hidden crowns illustrating that there’s a Jesus moment to find in the story.
From here, the story proceeds in a straightforward manner, covering some elements from the life of David: his anointing by Samuel, his defeat of Goliath, his flight from Saul, and his desire to build a Temple. Then, the book backtracks to pinpoint the Jesus moments. If you didn’t see the hidden crowns before, they’re pointed out now. (And yeah, they’re actually a bit tricky to find.)
As you might imagine, each of the four main elements of David’s life correspond to one Jesus moment. David’s being anointed as king corresponds to Jesus as King and messiah. David’s defeat of Goliath corresponds to Jesus’s defeat of sin on the cross. David’s decision to not kill Saul when he had the opportunity corresponds to Jesus praying for his enemies on the cross. And David becoming King corresponds to Jesus as King.
Some of these are a bit of a stretch. Others are straightforward. I think it’s simple enough for children and engaging enough for them to begin the conversation about how we see Jesus through the Old Testament.
So the success or failure of Jesus Moments: David—Finding Jesus in the Story of David rests on whether or not the finding of Jesus feels natural or contrived. The book begins by saying that some of the oldest stories in the Bible contain “Jesus moments”—moments when someone in the story is a little bit like Jesus. Throughout the story of David, there are hidden crowns illustrating that there’s a Jesus moment to find in the story.
From here, the story proceeds in a straightforward manner, covering some elements from the life of David: his anointing by Samuel, his defeat of Goliath, his flight from Saul, and his desire to build a Temple. Then, the book backtracks to pinpoint the Jesus moments. If you didn’t see the hidden crowns before, they’re pointed out now. (And yeah, they’re actually a bit tricky to find.)
As you might imagine, each of the four main elements of David’s life correspond to one Jesus moment. David’s being anointed as king corresponds to Jesus as King and messiah. David’s defeat of Goliath corresponds to Jesus’s defeat of sin on the cross. David’s decision to not kill Saul when he had the opportunity corresponds to Jesus praying for his enemies on the cross. And David becoming King corresponds to Jesus as King.
Some of these are a bit of a stretch. Others are straightforward. I think it’s simple enough for children and engaging enough for them to begin the conversation about how we see Jesus through the Old Testament.
February 22, 2024
This unique Old Testament storybook shares snapshots from David's early life and then connects aspects of David's story to Jesus. At the beginning of the book, the author explains that if you look closely, you can see parallels to Jesus in different Old Testament stories. She encourages kids to look for hidden crowns in the illustrations, because these each signal a "Jesus moment." There are four crowns hidden in Noah Warnes's detailed illustrations, and they are surprisingly well-hidden. The target audience of elementary-aged kids will enjoy this seek-and-find element.
Throughout this book, Allison Mitchell summarizes some elements of David's story, up to him becoming King of Israel. She writes in an engaging, conversational style that also includes interactive questions. The illustrations from Noah Warnes help tell the story and convey dramatic moments, but I felt that some of them were a little too dark and monochrome. I also wish that Mitchell had directly explained that Jesus came from the lineage of David. She connects Jesus to a promise that God gave David, but it isn't clear in the text that Jesus was a direct descendant from this king.
This is the first book in a new series that teaches kids about how Old Testament stories point to Jesus. I think that there is room for improvement, especially since the pages with low-contrast illustrations won't be as easy for kids to see when someone is reading this out loud to a whole group, but I enjoyed this as a whole. I would recommend this to Christian families and churches, and I look forward to future books in this series.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Throughout this book, Allison Mitchell summarizes some elements of David's story, up to him becoming King of Israel. She writes in an engaging, conversational style that also includes interactive questions. The illustrations from Noah Warnes help tell the story and convey dramatic moments, but I felt that some of them were a little too dark and monochrome. I also wish that Mitchell had directly explained that Jesus came from the lineage of David. She connects Jesus to a promise that God gave David, but it isn't clear in the text that Jesus was a direct descendant from this king.
This is the first book in a new series that teaches kids about how Old Testament stories point to Jesus. I think that there is room for improvement, especially since the pages with low-contrast illustrations won't be as easy for kids to see when someone is reading this out loud to a whole group, but I enjoyed this as a whole. I would recommend this to Christian families and churches, and I look forward to future books in this series.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2024
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus! It can be difficult for young children to make this connection, which is why I love the premise of this new series from The Good Book Company, Jesus Moments. In David: Finding Jesus in the story of David by Alison Mitchell with illustrations by Noah Warnes, Mitchell takes kids through the story of King David’s life, while showing them the whole story points to the One True King: Jesus!
This storybook begins with Samuel inspecting the sons of Jesse, looking for the man the Lord had chosen to be king. Samuel was surprised to discover it was David, the youngest, but God looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance. David loved the Lord and desired to live for Him. David is anointed, fights Goliath, escapes Saul, spares Saul, and eventually, in God’s perfect timing, becomes king of all Israel.
The book starts by asking a question: “Did you know that the oldest stories in the Bible are a bit like puzzles?” All of them are about Jesus, and if you look very carefully, you can spot these Jesus moments. The book reveals these moments by having kids look for hidden crowns. When your child spots a crown then they know there is a Jesus moment on that page. The crowns were hidden surprisingly well, and my 5-year-old enjoyed the challenge. Finding Jesus in the Old Testament can encourage children, and even adults, to see stories we have heard again and again with new eyes!
This is a brief look into the life of David and skips over much of his story to get to the moments that reveal Jesus. This could be used as a good introduction for young children (ages 4-7), but you may find yourself needing to clarify a few things. David was not a perfect man, and he was forbidden from building God a temple because he had “shed much blood” (1 Chronicles 22:8). God’s call is an effectual calling and there is nothing we can do or ask Him to earn our salvation.
The illustrations were also a bit dark for my taste, and not what I was expecting for this type of children’s storybook. In particular, I was not fond of the depictions of Christ.
This book not only teaches kids where Jesus is in the Old Testament, but also that He is ruling now! “Jesus is still alive today- and He is ruling as King. What would you like to say to Him now?”
Thank you so much to The Good Book Company for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to more Jesus Moments storybooks!
This storybook begins with Samuel inspecting the sons of Jesse, looking for the man the Lord had chosen to be king. Samuel was surprised to discover it was David, the youngest, but God looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance. David loved the Lord and desired to live for Him. David is anointed, fights Goliath, escapes Saul, spares Saul, and eventually, in God’s perfect timing, becomes king of all Israel.
The book starts by asking a question: “Did you know that the oldest stories in the Bible are a bit like puzzles?” All of them are about Jesus, and if you look very carefully, you can spot these Jesus moments. The book reveals these moments by having kids look for hidden crowns. When your child spots a crown then they know there is a Jesus moment on that page. The crowns were hidden surprisingly well, and my 5-year-old enjoyed the challenge. Finding Jesus in the Old Testament can encourage children, and even adults, to see stories we have heard again and again with new eyes!
This is a brief look into the life of David and skips over much of his story to get to the moments that reveal Jesus. This could be used as a good introduction for young children (ages 4-7), but you may find yourself needing to clarify a few things. David was not a perfect man, and he was forbidden from building God a temple because he had “shed much blood” (1 Chronicles 22:8). God’s call is an effectual calling and there is nothing we can do or ask Him to earn our salvation.
The illustrations were also a bit dark for my taste, and not what I was expecting for this type of children’s storybook. In particular, I was not fond of the depictions of Christ.
This book not only teaches kids where Jesus is in the Old Testament, but also that He is ruling now! “Jesus is still alive today- and He is ruling as King. What would you like to say to Him now?”
Thank you so much to The Good Book Company for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to more Jesus Moments storybooks!
March 18, 2024
This brand new book is hands-down a must have for our bookshelf! I was excited when I read about the book and even more excited about it when I read it with my daughter. This book offers a relatable, enjoyable overview of the life and story of David from the Old Testament.
As you read the story, there is a fun interactive component that kept my daughter engaged, by visually searching for crowns as I read. Each crown marked a “Jesus Moment” in the story. About two thirds of the way through the book, it asks children if they found the crowns. It then explains the Jesus Moments as a moment when Jesus was a little like Jesus, Each of the moments are then explained in simple terminology and points readers to the salvation message. By doing this, our family felt this was a valuable resource in our home. We loved that it seamlessly and simply tied both the Old and New Testaments together in an entertaining way that is easy for young children to grasp.
With vibrant, expressive illustrations, this book offers thick, durable pages and a solid hardcover. It is a fantastic, interactive book that would be great for any child’s library, but also for children’s ministry programs, in homeschool, or a private school.
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
As you read the story, there is a fun interactive component that kept my daughter engaged, by visually searching for crowns as I read. Each crown marked a “Jesus Moment” in the story. About two thirds of the way through the book, it asks children if they found the crowns. It then explains the Jesus Moments as a moment when Jesus was a little like Jesus, Each of the moments are then explained in simple terminology and points readers to the salvation message. By doing this, our family felt this was a valuable resource in our home. We loved that it seamlessly and simply tied both the Old and New Testaments together in an entertaining way that is easy for young children to grasp.
With vibrant, expressive illustrations, this book offers thick, durable pages and a solid hardcover. It is a fantastic, interactive book that would be great for any child’s library, but also for children’s ministry programs, in homeschool, or a private school.
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
April 5, 2024
One page into this new storybook (the introduction page that asks readers to look out for hidden crowns in the story to spot for Jesus moments), my 5 year old asked me, "Mummy, is this book written by the same person who wrote Jesus and the Lion's Den?"
Our family adores Alison Mitchell's books, and "Jesus Moments: David - Finding Jesus in the Story of David" was not an exception. This story tells from how David was chosen as a little boy all the way to becoming a king of Israel. The words and illustrations worked together really well - they were lively, captivating and intriguing. I especially appreciated how Alison compared David with Jesus in each "moment" (like Jesus and the Lion's Den), and finally showed us how Jesus is greater than David and called us for a simple but important response after learning about Him - "What would you like to say to him now?"
Reading Old Testament stories are always exciting, but seeing how these stories point to Jesus is so essential and this book does it so wonderfully!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Our family adores Alison Mitchell's books, and "Jesus Moments: David - Finding Jesus in the Story of David" was not an exception. This story tells from how David was chosen as a little boy all the way to becoming a king of Israel. The words and illustrations worked together really well - they were lively, captivating and intriguing. I especially appreciated how Alison compared David with Jesus in each "moment" (like Jesus and the Lion's Den), and finally showed us how Jesus is greater than David and called us for a simple but important response after learning about Him - "What would you like to say to him now?"
Reading Old Testament stories are always exciting, but seeing how these stories point to Jesus is so essential and this book does it so wonderfully!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2024
A high-flying overview of the life of David that highlights some key moments where David points ahead to Christ. I appreciate this skill of seeing Christ in Scripture being modeled in a kids picture book. It helps leads to conversation and is a good practice for kids being able to do it for themselves in the rest of Scripture.
Because the book attempts to cover the span of David’s life, instead of zoom in on just one section, some transitions felt clunky.
Overall an enjoyable storybook that I’m glad to have in our Home Library. Would be great for kids 5-10years old - especially boys!
Thank you to GoodBookCompany for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Because the book attempts to cover the span of David’s life, instead of zoom in on just one section, some transitions felt clunky.
Overall an enjoyable storybook that I’m glad to have in our Home Library. Would be great for kids 5-10years old - especially boys!
Thank you to GoodBookCompany for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
February 16, 2024
This is a pretty good retelling of the story of David in a picture book format. It is engaging and accurate. I love the concept presented at the start of the book to look for Jesus Moments in the story ( as we know that Jesus was always part of God's big story and therefor can be seen in the OT). I do wish there was a page or 2 more on David's life when he was king (nearly all of it is before he became King) and I wish that there was more written about Jesus being in the lineage of David (I didn't feel like that was explained at all.) Overall, an engaging and truthful picture book to read out loud with your kids.
March 20, 2024
Not only does this book share the story of king David in a way that is faithful to scripture and engaging for children, but in the second half of the book it highlights how king David is a type of Christ by walking back through the story and connecting it to specific points in the life of Jesus. It encourages children to begin looking for “Jesus moments” in all of scripture in a unique way. This series of children’s books is a new favorite for me. Read books to kids that not only tell the stories, but also teach them how to read the Bible for themselves. This series does exactly that.
November 7, 2024
A picture book retelling of Bible stories about King David that foreshadowed Jesus.
I really like this series and how it takes Old Testament Bible stories to deeper levels in showing how the stories point forward to Jesus. There's an element of hide-n-seek with crowns in this book, hidden in illustrations at points in the story that point to Jesus. The 2nd half of the book points these out clearly and explains how each one paralleled or pointed to Jesus. Note: the book does include David hitting Goliath with a stone in the forehead (non-bloody) and Jesus on the cross (also not bloody).
I really like this series and how it takes Old Testament Bible stories to deeper levels in showing how the stories point forward to Jesus. There's an element of hide-n-seek with crowns in this book, hidden in illustrations at points in the story that point to Jesus. The 2nd half of the book points these out clearly and explains how each one paralleled or pointed to Jesus. Note: the book does include David hitting Goliath with a stone in the forehead (non-bloody) and Jesus on the cross (also not bloody).
November 19, 2024
Part of the Jesus Moments series, this book on David is an interactive book for young readers, inviting them to catch the different times in David's story that he reminds us of and therefore points us to Jesus.
The book ends in a way that conversation could lead into asking the child if they would like to trust in Jesus for themselves.
The book ends in a way that conversation could lead into asking the child if they would like to trust in Jesus for themselves.
November 8, 2024
This was really good. Thought-provoking and helped us think deeper about a familiar Bible character. The kids loved looking for the crowns too 🥰
April 7, 2025
An interesting approach to one of the most beloved characters in all of the Bible!
Children will love looking for the "crowns" . . . . those "Jesus Moments" in the life of David.
Children will love looking for the "crowns" . . . . those "Jesus Moments" in the life of David.
April 5, 2024
The concept of this new children's story book line is promising. Teaching children when Jesus is pictured in Old Testament characters is pretty new. Usually, that bit of theology isn't taught until later years.
The story of David is nicely told in clear text. It begins with the selection of Israel's next King by the Prophet Samuel from among the sons of Jesse. The anointment of David with oil takes place and later in the book Jesus is identified as "the anointed one." David doesn't become king immediately as Saul is currently king of Israel.
As the story progresses through highlights of David's life, the reader is given the opportunity to find crowns hidden in the art work. These denote special "Jesus Moments" and provide interesting teaching moments and a fun exercise.
I don't care for the overall dark illustrations and the text also being dark on a dark background. The illustrations will catch children's attention, I think, but the dark colors may be a deterrent.
Overall, this is a high quality and theologically sound children's book. I look forward to more "Jesus Moments" story books.
I received a complimentary book to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
The story of David is nicely told in clear text. It begins with the selection of Israel's next King by the Prophet Samuel from among the sons of Jesse. The anointment of David with oil takes place and later in the book Jesus is identified as "the anointed one." David doesn't become king immediately as Saul is currently king of Israel.
As the story progresses through highlights of David's life, the reader is given the opportunity to find crowns hidden in the art work. These denote special "Jesus Moments" and provide interesting teaching moments and a fun exercise.
I don't care for the overall dark illustrations and the text also being dark on a dark background. The illustrations will catch children's attention, I think, but the dark colors may be a deterrent.
Overall, this is a high quality and theologically sound children's book. I look forward to more "Jesus Moments" story books.
I received a complimentary book to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews