The Pilgrim's Progress : A Poetic Retelling of John Bunyan’s Classic Tale

by Rousseaux Brasseur, John Bunyan (Contributor)

John Bunyan’s Bestseller as You’ve Never Experienced It Before

Did you know that John Bunyan’s timeless tale, The Pilgrim’s Progress , is the best selling book in history aside from the Bible, captivating millions of readers and impacting multiple generations of believers?

This fresh retelling of Bunyan’s masterwork features kid-friendly language in verse form, chronicling Christian’s quest for forgiveness, freedom, and an everlasting kingdom. Coupled with colorful illustrations that bring this epic journey to life, young readers ages eight and up will be inspired and captivated by this classic Christian allegory.

More than just a fantastical adventure, this book will help children gain greater knowledge of key Christian concepts in words they can understand, making it a perfect choice for family reading or a trustworthy alternative to screen time.

Bring this bestseller home and spark your child’s faith and imagination!

Genres: Christian, Classics, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024: Listening to this gem once more with my youngest.

2022: Listened to this with my 3rd & 4th graders. We all loved it! Such a fantastic version!

The Audiobook is quiet possibly the best of all time. We read it aloud first and J immediately asked to read it again. I knew there was an audio version of it and decided to give it a try. Wow. My girls listened so intently. My squirmy 4 yr old sat for over an hour at a time.

If you only ever read one version of PP, let it be this. And carry this book with you throughout all your life. Pass it on to your children and your children's children. I cannot praise it enough.

[Travis Ledford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my wife and children before bed. A chapter or two a night and it was so fun and enjoyable for all of us, but even more it didn’t spare the great Bible truth we all need. That’s right this isn’t just for kids, it brings Paul Bunyans book to life in a fun way. I’ve enjoyed and recommend that as well, but this is a solid application to bedtime stories where Bunyans book might have put them to sleep, it may have not caught there ear the way the rhyme schemes and songs do in here. Please do yourself a favor and get this book for your family. Fathers please take this time with your children. God speed.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolutely beautiful poetic retelling of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. I loved reading it.

I met the author through a Craigslist sale and he gave me a copy of the book while we were talking about the item he was picking up. My husband and I both immediately started reading it. I have just finished it this evening and must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it the whole way through. It is so lyrical and lovely and the illustrations are so sweet and charming. It is suitable for reading with kids but is also enjoyable for adults. I highly recommend picking up a copy.

[Autumn Klepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I loved this book! They often begged, “Just ONE more chapter...!”

This story is full of beautiful, rich language, deep theology, and whimsical, fun illustrations. Each chapter sparked lots of good Qs. The author and illustrator hit the ball out of the park - so well done!

[Tony Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the best children's book version of Pilgrim's Progress ever made. I say that boldly having never read any other childrens versions of this book, just the original itself, but I am very impressed with this book in its entirety. It stays true to the original, even in its poetic form. The poetry does get a little off when you try and keep the same cadence throughout sometimes, but it's not enough to say it's terrible, it just makes you fumble through it on a first reading aloud. The audio version nails it, even includes music for the different songs throughout the story. I have very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that wants to introduce their kids to Pilgrims Progress with a book that will keep them engaged. The book is almost 200 pages long so it isn't going to be a single sitting read to your child, which kind of makes me like it even more. If you do check out this book, the audio version is really good as well, but also there is a live-action YouTube version of this book with the poetic style and songs. The same actors from the movie do the voices for the audiobook. They did change stuff up a bit for the movie, I guess for time, but it still hits home in the end. I'm beginning to try and build a collection of children's books for my kids to have their own little library, and this book by Rousseaux Brasseur so far has been my favorite!

[Stephanie Cheek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has by far been my favorite book we've read during our homeschooling this year. It is a wonderful way to introduce young children to this classic. The illustrations are engaging for young children, the prose is both easy to understand and also beautiful enough to at times bring tears to my eyes. I would often find my oldest reading back over parts or looking through the pictures or even reading ahead. I can not recommend this book highly enough!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent retelling! Great for all ages. I read this with my 4 young children and they enjoyed very much. They never wanted me to stop when I would get to the end of a chapter. I had read pilgrims progress years ago but this retelling helped me to appreciate and understand it like I hadn’t before. I loved it and plan to read it over and over with my family.

[Zachary Cowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the Audiobook version as a family over the course of 3 weeks on our way to church, highly recommend! My four year old loved it. Very thankful for this resource, we will definitely listen again. Wonderful poetic style, good songs mixed in, and the same doctrine as the original, not dumbed down, but accessible for kids.

[Bennett Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book. This poetic retelling is true to the spirit and storyline of Bunyan’s masterpiece, and the illustrations are excellent. My boys, 8 and 5, were enthralled, and it was a delight to read with them.

[Rachel Oldaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely is a Baptist author, but altogether an excellent retelling of pilgrim's progress in a fun way.

Disclaimer... it also has many references to Jesus directly (not just allegory) which is fine, but also depicts some images of "Jesus" and/or God. If it was true allegory like the original, the pictures would probably be no problem.

[Kerr Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! Its poetry is simple to read and beautifully crafted. Intune to the original document of pilgrims progress. The picture catch the attention of children and adults. A book for the family to enjoy and treasure.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wondered how a book of poetry could convey the story of Pilgrim’s Progress to children, its intended audience, but it is masterfully done. Interspersed with catchy songs that express the plot, this production is very well done.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and beautiful poetry! This is a great children’s adaptation of the classic Pilgrims Progress! I enjoyed it as much as my kids!

[Rachel Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely adaptation of the original in poetic language that children can understand. My children and I loved following Christian on his journey to Celestial City.

[Shiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetic retelling of John Bunyan’s classic is an absolute delight.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my top 10 favorite books that I’ve read with my kids.

[Anna Sangrey Roussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations, excellent poetic rendition. More in depth than a picture book, but a light read with one chapter a day. The complete story. 29 chapters.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading a chapter ( or two) a day with my kids.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet version of Pilgrims Progress! And please get the audio version! My kiddo listened to this book on repeat! I highly recommend 👌

[History7teacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this with trepidation because in my experience, classic books that are "retold" are usually warped and often ruined when compared to the original. Not so with this retelling. The story and its message are clear, the poetry which conveys it is good, the illustrations (in the sample I downloaded) are appealing and I kept listening and enjoying it more and more. When only half through, I recommended it to friends at church with children, and Ill keep recommending it!

[Stephen Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that is a fantastic retelling of pilgrims progress in a manner that kids can understand but that still holds to the original narrative very tightly. The poetry is nothing less than brilliant and the illustrations excellent as well. It id a book that we will be reading once a year and that I know will only continue to resonate deeply with my boys the older they get.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing! This is not merely a book for children, but very eye opening and a great reminder for Christians of all ages. I read it aloud to my 7 year old and while I had to explain much of the terminology to him, we both got alot out of it.

[Erin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic retelling of Pilgrim's Progress. The poetry is extremely well done and engaging to listen to. My 4 year old listened to the whole thing and could tell me large parts of Christian's story.

[Autumn Chittum-Vestal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Just, wow. This was so well done & beautiful. My eyes well with tears many times throughout the story. Words can’t express my love for our Lord, our Savior. This poetic retelling was a perfect read aloud to my son- so edifying and beautiful. I highly recommend.

[Claire Ingram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected
Very religious and felt like a Sunday school book which is great if you are looking for that and some singing in there. Some catchy tunes in there but i wasn’t expecting a bible story.
Great way to teach children about Christianity in a fun and easy to understand way

[Amanda Betts]

Looking forward to reading it again when my boys are older. We enjoyed it even though they are below the target age audience.

[Kelly Eisbacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The poetry flows well. Illustrations are beautiful. My kids begged me to read this. We finished it and they are asking to reread it already.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother is 4 and he loved it, he wanted me to restart the book the minute we finished it😊

[Juls · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little read that I took from the house of the kids I was babysitting! I'd be interested to read the actual book toooo one day

[Alicia Ralston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rousseaux is an amazing writer and poet!