The Rose and the Snake

by Mark Restaino, J.P. Alcomendas (Illustrator)

“The author does an excellent job of portraying that we are all beautiful, just the way that we are. We should not let what others think and say about us influence how we feel, think, or act.” - Carolyn Overcash Am I beautiful? Am I loved? These are the two questions that little girls are always thinking about. And from family and friends to magazines and billboards, the answers are endless. But there is only one response that matters.   This children’s book, written by youth minister, Mark Restaino, is a biblically symbolic story of a rose who is manipulated by a snake, struggles with her appearance, and eventually finds her confidence in the wise words of a compassionate boy. Invest in a copy today and please share with your church community.  Perfect for children ages 3-7.

Genres: Childrens

22 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2019

Reviews

[Nadishka Aloysius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this little book. It puts across in such a simple way some basic truths of the Christian faith. The pictures are great for kids and the story is told in an engaging way. I read it to my sons and they were hooked! You can easily identify with the rose, as she sways back and forth between temptation and making the right choice.
The explanation of the characters at the end was useful since otherwise the parent has to figure out the allegory and explain it.
I would love to use this in our Sunday school, if I can get my hands on a hard copy!

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so BEAUTIFUL!!! It's a great children's book and its lovely.. To me the moral of this story is, your beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. Do not change who you are and love yourself. If you have children, please read this book to them.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

The snake had heard the teacher comment on how beautiful the rose was.
He suggested rose needed to get rid of her thorns then she might be something.
The snake came back with a mouse & told rose they would go in his hole & discuss how to make her even more beautiful.
The snake came back with a frog.
By Saturday rose noticed she was changing.
The snake came back with a bird.

Monday morning what did the children notice about rose?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great colored pictures & proper font & writing style. A very well written children’s educational adventure story book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great children’s educational adventure movie, classroom PP presentation, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; eBookStage; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story paired with biblical truth. This story was well-written, and the illustrations are colorful and suited to each page. I like that the story is an allegory, and you can choose to discuss as much or as little of it as you deem appropriate with your children. I read it on my desktop via Kindle Cloud Reader, and the print was very small. I hope that can be remedied in the future, but I cannot speak for the paperback version, of course. Regarding the content of the story, I think it could stand alone, without the symbolism. This is fictional, and so the realities of the way a rose grows are not present, plus it has a face and can talk to a snake. :) And the snake takes its prey back to its home instead of eating it on the spot, which is important to the story. But two points of the story bother me a little and weaken it, in my opinion. They are nit-picky and would probably not bother a child, though! (1) The snake can't seem to go past the rose unless it loses its thorns, but the illustration shows what looks like plenty of room to get by. (2) Although the snake is lying to the rose, her color changes seem to be controlled by the snake. Perhaps I misunderstood part of the message, though!

[Deb Threadgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avery good short story for children with beautiful illustrations. A teacher plants a pink rose right at a snakes nest,
The tea her tells the rose she is beautiful,but the evil snake says she would be more beautiful without her thorns,so she drops them off and now he can get out of his nest. Several children come by and tell her how beautiful she is. We all like to be flattered and feel better about ourselves. The snack isn’t done with the rose, he tells her she would be more beautiful red. So for three days he brings a smaller animal into his nest and she gets redder.
I don’t want to give any more away, but I do think the story shows the world I’d full of temptations and if you buy this product or that product you wupill become even more beautiful. While God thinks all of his children are beautiful and should resist temptation. Mark Restaino does a great job with a simple beautiful story and book that parents can read to their children and discuss what it all means.
.

[Marin . · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feelings like you’re lonely, that you have no friends, or that you’re too beautiful to be noticed are extremely relatable feelings for a child. THE ROSE AND THE SNAKE bring vanity, manipulation, and compassion to life through an animal/plant/human encounter, which is something that anyone – children and adults - can imagine and relate to. My own opinion: the book could be shorter and more engaging.

Illustrations are beautiful and will definitely help readers read between the lines of the story.
On the copy I received the font size was very tiny and difficult to read.

I received a free copy of THE ROSE AND THE SNAKE from the author.

[Ausita Ausita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is meaningful and very well written. But a bit dark, I would say...
I believe it is more suitable for older children. I find it very interesting but also a bit dark and not so suitable for my 4yo daughter, because she is pretty sensitive and won't appreciate the dead animals, the way the snake is not honest, etc... I mean, I would definitely want her to read this story when she's a bit older. The story also is a bit wordy for a 3 yo.

The illustrations are lovely and easy to captivate children's attention.

[Holly Lenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, illustrated Christian children’s book

The Rose and the Snake is a lovely illustrated children’s book with a religious Christian moral story underneath the surface. The illustrations are very nice.

[Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. Thought provoking story.

A book children will enjoy with a story that could be a good starting g point for deeper conversations for older students and adults. Will look for more books by this author.

[Margaret Fraleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just received this book and read it.

I enjoyed the story and the rose (symbolism for a girl) who was unsure of her beauty.
Her doubts caused her to think less of herself. Finally she realized that her beauty was
within her.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great lesson. Amazing illustrations. A little dark. I recommend parents read with children. There needs to be a good discussion after this read.
My ebook copy did not have the list of what each character symbolized in the back. Would be good to have.

[Nigel Tetley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moral of this story is timely and important. However, I am not convinced that there is enough narrative content here to keep a young child engaged. Havng said that, I can see its use in a classroom context. I received a free copy of this book for review.

[Kristina Sheldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to discuss biblical symbolism with young readers. I have received multiple books from this author and have enjoyed his perspective on teaching biblical lessons through children's literature.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is really engaging (and kind of dark). It has an interesting plot and lots of good messages. It teaches little readers to be true to themselves and shows how vanity can blind a person. Good read! I probably wouldn't read to anyone under 5 or 6 though.

[Lily L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rose and the Snake is another beautifully written book that will remind the readers that no matter what other people think or say, "You are beautiful and Unique in your own way. I like reading this book, it's interesting and relevant nowadays.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children love to read and I am so happy that there are books like this one out there that I can read to them.

[Fritzie Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This was an enthralling children's book with a good moral and a feel good ending. Will be reading it to my Grandbabies!

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're beautiful!

I enjoyed the story I wish the teacher had been a little bit more prominent. It was a really good lesson, and children will love it

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful picture book, but I would recommend getting it in hard copy as the print is a little small unless reading it on a larger tablet electronically.

[Clare Pillarkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful story with great illustrations. Indeed, we are fearfully and wonderfully made

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great message for children with lovely illustrations too. I received a free copy from the author.

[Jetty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book for free.

This book teaches us that we must accept our appearance because of what God had don't for us.

[Abiodun Seun · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is actually a good one for the kids. I think it will be good to have more from the author. It's great work done!

[Hyacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little book about the lies of the enemy and seeing yourself as God sees you. It was a quick read.

[Thomas Mitchem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rose and the Snake is about what one thinks of themselves and what they will do or not do to be accepted by others. The pictures are nice and the story is thought provoking and could be a good kick start for conversations with the young reader or the young listener. I received a copy of the book from the author for free.

[Lorna Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Rose and the Snake,’ is a beautiful story for children; especially, as it relates to self-reflection and acceptance of who they are in Christ. In a very colorful way, the author expertly uses the snake to show how easily believers can become deceived when faced with vanity or low self-esteem. This story is excellent for children’s bible class and any class where picture book illustrations speak to the creations of God and how he sees each and every one of his children (fearfully and wonderfully made). In editorial review, ‘The Rose and the Snake,’ is written in easy to read vocabulary; it is lesson-driven for elementary students and the characters are truly engaging and entertaining. I loved it!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has a lot of messages within it. A rose is growing and a snake comes along and manipulates her into changing for his approval.
It is only when a little boy tells her she is beautiful that she starts to realise she is.

It's about trusting your own thoughts and feelings and the Snake to me feels like it could also be a warning of what toxic people can be like.

It's a little darker this one with the snake being cruel to the rose, but I think it's a good thing as even the classic fairy tales have a darkness in the villains they portray.

Another enjoyable read from this author.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written! Love this message! Always remember, the Lord loves us! Don't let the devil lead you astray! Great job!