reformation Archives | Little Book, Big Story

We’ve been on a bit of a Luther binge here. Maybe it was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that kicked it off last year, or a comment in our community group that lead us to study some key figures of the Reformation. I can’t remember. It could have been, too, that I spent six months reading a book on Luther, marinating in his thoughts and theology. Or it could be the book I’m reading now that has, on the surface, nothing to do with him, but still spends a chapter discussing why many believe that Martin Luther was insane.

The Life of Martin Luther, by Agostino Traini (review) | Little Book, Big Story

At any rate, we have read and talked a lot about Martin Luther since last September, and I’m grateful for the perspective this has given us on the Protestant Church today, both because we know more than we did about it this time last year, and because I now want to know more. (It’s funny how reading often has that effect: by opening one door for you, it draws your attention to the unopened doors on either side of it.)

But of all the books we’ve read on Luther lately, this one is the most fun, and for one simple reason:

Pop-ups.

Agostino Traini’s The Life of Martin Luther is a simple introduction to Luther, with a distilled storyline and three-dimensional illustrations. This is a very basic biography (you won’t find commentary on his less savory qualities here), but it strikes the main points clearly. This is the book you read with your little ones before they graduate to The Reformation ABCs, the one that gives a nice outline of his life. This is a book that, hopefully, sends you away wanting to know more about the man who called the church of Rome to reformation.

Bonus list!

Just in case you want to start your own Martin Luther binge, here are the books we’ve enjoyed lately:

For Grown-Ups

The Reformation, by Stephen J. Nichols
Pages From Church History, by Stephen J. Nichols
Luther On the Christian Life, by Carl Trueman
The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul

For Kids

The Reformation ABCs, by Stephen J. Nichols
Church History ABCs, by Stephen J. Nichols
Katie Luther: The Graphic Novel, by Susan K. Leigh
Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World, by Paul L. Maier

The Life of Martin Luther
Augustino Traini (2017)

History was, for me, a recent discovery. I know that sounds strange, but it was a pleasant surprise to find in history a genre that I simply hadn’t noticed—at least, not until Stephen Ambrose introduced me to the fascinating possibilities of the historical narrative.

Now I love the idea of sharing history with our children at a young age, as it is a comfort to know that others—in wildly different clothes, of course—have trod certain paths before us. Lydia and I talk a lot about fiction and nonfiction (this is how Santa was exposed, actually) and, when reading a new book, that is often one of her first questions: “Is this story fiction or nonfiction?” She leans into a book with a certain enthusiasm when she learns that this is a story that really, truly happened.

The Church History ABCs | Little Book, Big Story

The Church History ABCs offers not one true story, but twenty-six, in concise words and bold illustrations, emphasized by a striking graphic layout. Each letter of the alphabet represents a major figure in church history, from Augustine to Ulrich Zwingli (don’t worry: I hadn’t heard of him either).

Their biographies are told briefly within the context of the book and at more length in an appendix, which makes this a great book for a wide age range. There’s a lot to talk about here, so be prepared: theology, politics, persecution and martyrdom all make appearances, so this is a good one to read with your child so you can answer questions as they come up.

This book also makes a great gift for your Reformation-loving friends, if you have those (we have lots). We don’t own our own copy yet, but it’s come through our home a number of times as gifts for others, and Lydia always wants to read it when it does—with Sarah at her shoulder, calling out letters. That’s a sure sign that our small audience gives a book four thumbs up.

The Church History ABCs
Stephen J. Nichols, Ned Bustard (2010)

Tag: reformation (page 1 of 1)

The Life of Martin Luther

Bonus list!

For Grown-Ups

For Kids

The Church History ABCs

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