The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden

Pastor and author DeYoung (What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality?) impressively distills the Bible into 10 chapters, writing in a colloquial, occasionally humorous tone that reflects the book's origins in a sermon, as an endnote explains. Throughout, DeYoung emphasizes mankind's fallibility (of Isaac's children: "Great blessings. But not-so-great people. Isaac was sort of a weakling. Jacob was a selfish trickster. And Judah did such dumb stuff, we don't even want to talk about it") while hinting at the salvation that lay ahead with the birth of Jesus. Just as successful and integral are the moody illustrations provided by Clark, cofounder of design/illustration studio Invisible Creature. Dominated by dark shades of green, teal, crimson, and violet, the images are close cousin to the work of midcentury illustrators like Mary Blair, striking notes both triumphant and ominous; when God decides to flood the Earth ("They didn't deserve to enjoy God's world anymore. So God took it from them"), a black shadow swallows an image of the globe, as if seen from space. DeYoung aims for a broad Christian audience and hits the mark. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. (Aug.)