Wow! The Good News in Four Words is a vibrant, hard-cover picture book written by Dandi Daley Mackall. This precious story walks children all the way through the entire plan of salvation. The book begins with God’s great creation and tells the story of Adam and Eve’s sin. It then clearly lays out God’s redemptive plan for all mankind.

Each part of the story is introduced with one of four key words: Wow! Uh-oh. Yes! Ahh. I think it’s adorable to hear a young child shout out or repeat these words as you read the story. This was the case with my niece. The vibrant pictures in this delightful book draw the child right into the story as they hear the story of salvation through gentle rhyming patterns and descriptive language.

Wow! This part of the charming narrative briefly describes God’s creation. The world was perfect. It was really well done. The word wow is big and bold throughout the book, encouraging the kids to chime right in.

Uh-oh. Sadly sin entered the world by a sneaky snake. Adam and Eve gave into temptation and now we all need grace. This is a sad part that happened. A child can really understand that a mistake was made by the uh-oh.

Yes! Thankfully, God had a wonderful plan and sent us his son. Angry people had Jesus arrested and crucified, but he didn’t stay dead. Christ is described as the Way, Truth, and Life. Anyone who believes and receives has a new life right away. I love the pictures at this part of the story because they include a great variety of people, representing all different nationalities and ages.

Ahh. Once we are saved we can rest in the truth that our Savior is close to us at all times. A description of heaven is given where there will be no tears.

And then the story ends with another wow and describes a new life in Christ. I love the drawings on these pages. They are just so full of life and show each person sharing the good news with someone else.

The beginning of the book has an explanation for parents. The pages at the end of the book include verses for each part of the story for further study. I think these would make an excellent opportunity for digging deeper or helping to answer questions.

This very simple telling of the Good News is really an excellent way for introducing it to younger children. It is an easy and quick to read book that can be enjoyed more than once by young children.

-Product review by Linda Rose, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2017