Sharing the Easter Story

Everyone loves cartoons – young kids, older kids, adults and grandparents too. They tell stories better than you or me, and best of all they carry meaning that teach every age. And this cartoon does exactly that – teach EVERY age.

The first question with animating Jesus’ death for children will always be ‘how graphic is the crucifixion?’ – and I would say its bang on the mark. It doesn’t wrap the crucifixion in cotton wool, neither does it press fast-forward or become too graphic for younger viewers. With clever camera angles and sensitive wording the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t just preserved, its amplified.

At first I thought the Read and Share DVD’s were extremely slow and a little odd, they certainly stand out from anything you see on TV. But that was before I understood them. You see, they animate the words from the Read and Share Children’s Bible. The leisurely animation and spacious storytelling are for good reason; they emphasis the scripture allowing Jesus’ story to have maximum impact.

I’ve never seen anything more faithful to scripture (ok, they do speak with American accents and there’s some adlibbing here and there, but that’s nit-picking). The story focuses on certain themes, like Peter’s relationship with Jesus. I was especially struck by a moment when Peter, after denying he knows Jesus, looks and sees his friend being led away to die. It put a frog in my throat!

This 30 minute DVD will teach everyone something about Jesus and his history-shaking last days, from the very young (3 and upwards) to the very old. If you have young children, this wonderfully straightforward cartoon is probably the best way to introduce them too the whole Easter story... and will also open the door to discuss why Jesus had to die?