NCLA Review - The Cecil and Friends picture books use quirky humor and cartoon-like drawings to retell Bible stories for kids. In some of the books the Bible story is told just as it is in the Bible, but other books in the series, such as Jed and Roy McCoy, tell an original story based on a Bible text. Kid humor and anachronistic illustrations make these books fun. In Cecil the Lost Sheep, Cecil dreams of getting a motorcycle or joining a band. In Jonah’s Story God delivers his messages to Jonah via humorous letters. Jonah has a mailbox and a white picket fence. In Zac the Tax Man, Zacchaeus is a modern kid (we see his school photo in one illustration) who makes money by doing kids’ homework for them. At the end of each book readers will find discussion questions and the NIV version of the featured story. These books are entertaining and would make an excellent jumping off point for talking about Bible stories. Kids may need an adult to clarify what parts of the stories are actually from the Bible and which aren’t. Rating: 3 —AMG ( )