Land of the Lost, by Marianne Hering, (our September Master Class instructor) is a recent title in Adventures in Odyssey’s popular “Imagination Station” series. This is Marianne Hering’s thirtieth book and cousins Patrick and Beth travel back in time to meet Noah and his family as they make final preparations for the famous flood.
REVIEW
When Patrick and Beth arrive, they witness some of the challenges Noah might have faced while he and his family members gathered the animals, collected food, put the finishing touches on the ark, and encountered people who refused to obey God. Hering weaves brief notes of Noah’s lineage into the story, including Adam and Enoch. She adds a touch of levity to the text when Beth admits she and Patrick didn’t pay enough attention to “all the ‘begat’ stuff.” The story wraps up as the rain begins to fall, the doors of the ark close, and the cousins return to Whit’s End.
Throughout much of the book, Patrick and Beth run from giants or witness battles. Caregivers will want to consider this as the author details several violent episodes and includes one reference to a character making a rude hand gesture.
Themes include obedience to God and courage to stand up for what you believe. Summing up the story, Hering mentions the rainbow as a reminder of God’s promise to Noah and includes a brief explanation of the gospel. Land of the Lost is an entertaining version of the story of Noah and the flood and could be used by adults to initiate conversations about salvation with children.
Hering names the next book in the series, Big Risks in Russia, a story that will take readers on an adventure to the former USSR. The story is packed with action.
Sue Irwin is a children’s author and educator. She reads funny stories, mystery adventures, and fascinating nonfiction for fun, but more than anything, she enjoys sharing God’s love with kids.