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Very Best Bible Stories
Esther and the Very Brave Plan
Brings to life the Bible story of Esther for young children.
In this faithful retelling of a classic Bible story, children 2-6 years old will discover how God used Esther to protect his people from an evil plan. Children will learn that God’s plans to rescue his people never fail.
Contains bright, fun-filled illustrations by Jennifer Davison.
In this faithful retelling of a classic Bible story, children 2-6 years old will discover how God used Esther to protect his people from an evil plan. Children will learn that God’s plans to rescue his people never fail.
Contains bright, fun-filled illustrations by Jennifer Davison.
24 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2021
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 18, 2026
The artwork is fun, the writing leaves a lot to be desired.
September 8, 2021
How can you teach your children about the sovereignty of God? In Esther and the Very Brave Plan, Tim Thornborough & Jennifer Davison bring to life the Bible story of Esther for young children.
Plan and Protection
With a faithful yet child-friendly retelling of the story of Esther, Tim Thronborough will help you share God’s plan for and protection of his people. God is seen as central in this story, and he is seen to be secretly working to make his plans happen.
God’s Rescue
What I most appreciated about this book was Jennifer Davison’s beautiful illustrations. They are cute and fun, and popping with color. But what most impressed me were the skin tones of the Biblical characters. These characters are expressive and really come to life. Your children will be captivated by this story as they see how God’s rescue plans never fail.
I received a media copy of Esther and the Very Brave Plan and this is my honest review.
Plan and Protection
With a faithful yet child-friendly retelling of the story of Esther, Tim Thronborough will help you share God’s plan for and protection of his people. God is seen as central in this story, and he is seen to be secretly working to make his plans happen.
God’s Rescue
What I most appreciated about this book was Jennifer Davison’s beautiful illustrations. They are cute and fun, and popping with color. But what most impressed me were the skin tones of the Biblical characters. These characters are expressive and really come to life. Your children will be captivated by this story as they see how God’s rescue plans never fail.
I received a media copy of Esther and the Very Brave Plan and this is my honest review.
August 19, 2021
The Good Book Company is my go-to publisher for quality children’s books. Everything they publish is well thought out, age-appropriate, colorful, diverse, and just all-around quality. Building on this incredible foundation, they’ve just released two more books in the Very Best Bible Stories series.
This series is exactly what it bills itself as: a simple retelling of a biblical story. Every story begins with “a true story from the Bible,” reiterating that while a lot of children’s books are fictional, these are real history. That’s an important distinction to make, especially for children. The first page always includes a summary and after not being sure whether or not I liked that for the first couple of entries, I’ve landed on enjoying it. It gives young readers an idea of where the story is going, tells them what to look for, and sometimes gives them hints for application.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is the story of Esther and her decision to save her people. Immediately, some challenges stand out. First, this is a bloody tale. Haman plots genocide and is later executed. Esther enters the king’s presence even though doing so without permission could lead to her death. Mordecai prevents the king’s assassination. Second, there’s the whole thing about how Esther comes to be queen. It’s not exactly kid-friendly.
Tim Thornborough navigates these tricky waters quite cleverly, using Xerxes’ proud plan to get a new choose to contrast with Esther’s plan to save her people. Next up is the plan that Mordecai overhears—a plan to get rid of the king. The theme of plans begins to emerge even as the reader gets hints about God’s plan working underneath all of it. Then, there’s Haman’s plan. A very bad plan to get rid of all of God’s people. I appreciate the terminology of “get rid.” It captures the point without being needlessly violent. Young ones will come away with more understanding and empathy of the scenario than if presented with genocide. Being told to go away or being excluded is something they might understand.
Then, there is Esther’s brave plan: a plan to talk to the king to save the people. The final panel talks about how God’s plans always come true—even when we can’t see it or understand how and even when things seem like they’re going wrong. It’s a beautiful reminder that God’s plans are always working and he calls us to be a part of them.
This series is exactly what it bills itself as: a simple retelling of a biblical story. Every story begins with “a true story from the Bible,” reiterating that while a lot of children’s books are fictional, these are real history. That’s an important distinction to make, especially for children. The first page always includes a summary and after not being sure whether or not I liked that for the first couple of entries, I’ve landed on enjoying it. It gives young readers an idea of where the story is going, tells them what to look for, and sometimes gives them hints for application.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is the story of Esther and her decision to save her people. Immediately, some challenges stand out. First, this is a bloody tale. Haman plots genocide and is later executed. Esther enters the king’s presence even though doing so without permission could lead to her death. Mordecai prevents the king’s assassination. Second, there’s the whole thing about how Esther comes to be queen. It’s not exactly kid-friendly.
Tim Thornborough navigates these tricky waters quite cleverly, using Xerxes’ proud plan to get a new choose to contrast with Esther’s plan to save her people. Next up is the plan that Mordecai overhears—a plan to get rid of the king. The theme of plans begins to emerge even as the reader gets hints about God’s plan working underneath all of it. Then, there’s Haman’s plan. A very bad plan to get rid of all of God’s people. I appreciate the terminology of “get rid.” It captures the point without being needlessly violent. Young ones will come away with more understanding and empathy of the scenario than if presented with genocide. Being told to go away or being excluded is something they might understand.
Then, there is Esther’s brave plan: a plan to talk to the king to save the people. The final panel talks about how God’s plans always come true—even when we can’t see it or understand how and even when things seem like they’re going wrong. It’s a beautiful reminder that God’s plans are always working and he calls us to be a part of them.
August 9, 2021
The Very Best Bible Story Series
Written by Tim Thornborough and Illustrated by Jennifer Davison
Every book in the series includes on the first page: "in this true story from the Bible." These books are geared for ages 2-6. I love that the book starts by reminding us that this is a true event in history and mentioned in the Bible.
What I like about the book:
Hardback, colorful book with thick, semigloss pages, the illustrations show emotions and bring the event to life.
The font is fun, nice size print, and easy to read.
These books have fun openings, they bring meaning to the listener/reader. Esther is about a plan- a horrible plan, but it's also about GOD's secret plan to rescue His people.
It's about God's plan, and the reader/listener's job is to 'spot how God is secretly at work to make his plan work, and the other plans fail.
More and more, I recognize the importance of seeing who God is through the lens of the Bible and I appreciate a children's book that introduces this important truth!
Author's word choice- dramatic kid words- horrible, wicked, special, secret plan, hated, danger, ...
Repeating the theme of God working, working, working
The truth taught: God's plans always come true... God is always working, working, working
Things I wonder about the book:
This book not only doesn't capitalize pronouns like his/him when referring to God, it does capital Word when it means the Word of the Lord which is inconsistent to me.
I wonder why we share a "true story from the Bible" and don't share the reference to read it in a physical or e-book Bible and check out the facts as an adult?
Educational Connections:
Plans- build on the theme of making plans, expand to 'secret plans.'
teach making lists to remember the plans
discuss when it would be okay to make a 'secret plan.' for a celebration, to honor someone, for fun, but also discuss that secret plans from your parent could be problematic.
Talk about who God is and how His plan always works for the good of those who love Him.
Pretend with a crown to be king and queen. Act out the courage Esther needed to approach the King uninvited.
Thankful to partner with the Goodbook company and share another excellent resource for whispering the Word.
Written by Tim Thornborough and Illustrated by Jennifer Davison
Every book in the series includes on the first page: "in this true story from the Bible." These books are geared for ages 2-6. I love that the book starts by reminding us that this is a true event in history and mentioned in the Bible.
What I like about the book:
Hardback, colorful book with thick, semigloss pages, the illustrations show emotions and bring the event to life.
The font is fun, nice size print, and easy to read.
These books have fun openings, they bring meaning to the listener/reader. Esther is about a plan- a horrible plan, but it's also about GOD's secret plan to rescue His people.
It's about God's plan, and the reader/listener's job is to 'spot how God is secretly at work to make his plan work, and the other plans fail.
More and more, I recognize the importance of seeing who God is through the lens of the Bible and I appreciate a children's book that introduces this important truth!
Author's word choice- dramatic kid words- horrible, wicked, special, secret plan, hated, danger, ...
Repeating the theme of God working, working, working
The truth taught: God's plans always come true... God is always working, working, working
Things I wonder about the book:
This book not only doesn't capitalize pronouns like his/him when referring to God, it does capital Word when it means the Word of the Lord which is inconsistent to me.
I wonder why we share a "true story from the Bible" and don't share the reference to read it in a physical or e-book Bible and check out the facts as an adult?
Educational Connections:
Plans- build on the theme of making plans, expand to 'secret plans.'
teach making lists to remember the plans
discuss when it would be okay to make a 'secret plan.' for a celebration, to honor someone, for fun, but also discuss that secret plans from your parent could be problematic.
Talk about who God is and how His plan always works for the good of those who love Him.
Pretend with a crown to be king and queen. Act out the courage Esther needed to approach the King uninvited.
Thankful to partner with the Goodbook company and share another excellent resource for whispering the Word.
August 10, 2021
This picture book retells the biblical story of Esther in a way that is faithful to the source material while simplifying details of the plot for young children. Tim Thornborough writes in a kid-friendly style, and throughout the book, he emphasizes that even though the human characters all had different plans, God had a plan and was working out the details in all that happened. Jennifer Davison's illustrations are vibrant with rich, bright colors, and she draws elements of Persian culture into her visual representations of the story, such as when she portrays characters with cuneiform tablets. The book ends with a message of encouragement, saying that God will always work out His plans, even when it seems like everything is going wrong.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is a great book for Christian families, churches, and Christian schools, and because the illustrations are so bold and striking, the book can be engaging and eye-catching from a distance, if a teacher is holding it up for a group of kids to look at. The book also has a solid rhythm to the text that lends itself well to a read-aloud. This adaptation of the Esther narrative for young readers does simplify some details from the source material, but the text is faithful to the overarching narrative and themes, even as the author drops some nuances from the plot and characters to condense the story to twenty-four pages. This is a great introduction to the story for young children, especially since it represents the racial and cultural background of the historical events, and parents and teachers can enjoy this as well.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is a great book for Christian families, churches, and Christian schools, and because the illustrations are so bold and striking, the book can be engaging and eye-catching from a distance, if a teacher is holding it up for a group of kids to look at. The book also has a solid rhythm to the text that lends itself well to a read-aloud. This adaptation of the Esther narrative for young readers does simplify some details from the source material, but the text is faithful to the overarching narrative and themes, even as the author drops some nuances from the plot and characters to condense the story to twenty-four pages. This is a great introduction to the story for young children, especially since it represents the racial and cultural background of the historical events, and parents and teachers can enjoy this as well.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 8, 2021
Esther and the Very Brave Plan is one of the latest titles in the Very Best Bible Stories series by The Good Book Company. There are many things I appreciate about this series including the lovely illustrations and the simple storytelling. All children’s Bibles and story Bible books are paraphrases so I’m extra grateful when I come across resources that clearly communicate God’s word to my children. This retelling of Esther encourages children to pay attention to the events of the story so they can learn about how God is at work even when we can’t see it. It was encouraging to read how many times the name of God was used in the story because the actual book of Esther doesn’t include God’s name at all. The introduction helpfully states, “This is a true story from the Bible about some horrible men who made a horrible plan to get rid of God’s people. But it’s also a story about how God had a secret plan to rescue his people. As you read this story, try to spot how God is secretly at work to make his plan work, and the other plans fail.”
I really enjoyed the emphasis on how God was at work in the account of Esther to preserve and protect His people. I know that reading Esther and the Very Brave Plan will train my children to look for God at work amongst His people in the storyline of Scripture and I’m thankful that they’ll have such training early on. I really enjoyed this book as did my children and we really look forward to reading more in the Very Best Bible Stories series.
I received Esther and the Very Brave Plan compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed the emphasis on how God was at work in the account of Esther to preserve and protect His people. I know that reading Esther and the Very Brave Plan will train my children to look for God at work amongst His people in the storyline of Scripture and I’m thankful that they’ll have such training early on. I really enjoyed this book as did my children and we really look forward to reading more in the Very Best Bible Stories series.
I received Esther and the Very Brave Plan compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.
August 24, 2021
As a mother to a daughter it is my hope and prayer that my girl grows up to know God’s word, live for God and stand strong for His principles, with bravery, just as Queen Esther did.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan summarizes the story of King Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai and Haman, as told in the book of Esther in the Bible. This delightful retelling makes this complicated and sinister Biblical history very simple for small children to understand, while also instilling in their hearts that God has a plan for everything and even if we don’t understand it, it will come true. It also encourages young hearts that God is always watching, planning and working to care for His people.
Throughout the story, there are repetitive words that make the story fun, engaging and drive home the message God gave us in the book of Esther. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching with the characters being expressive and colorful. For me, this book created many additional opportunities to start conversations with my daughter about the wickedness of Haman, the bravery of Esther and Mordecai and the faithful protection God offers His people - a truth I would love to tuck inside my daughter’s heart.
In closing, this is a definite recommendation from me for your little one’s library!
* I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of these books from The Good Book Company and all thoughts below are my own.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan summarizes the story of King Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai and Haman, as told in the book of Esther in the Bible. This delightful retelling makes this complicated and sinister Biblical history very simple for small children to understand, while also instilling in their hearts that God has a plan for everything and even if we don’t understand it, it will come true. It also encourages young hearts that God is always watching, planning and working to care for His people.
Throughout the story, there are repetitive words that make the story fun, engaging and drive home the message God gave us in the book of Esther. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching with the characters being expressive and colorful. For me, this book created many additional opportunities to start conversations with my daughter about the wickedness of Haman, the bravery of Esther and Mordecai and the faithful protection God offers His people - a truth I would love to tuck inside my daughter’s heart.
In closing, this is a definite recommendation from me for your little one’s library!
* I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of these books from The Good Book Company and all thoughts below are my own.
September 2, 2023
I want to say that calling this book good for 2-6 year olds is a slight stretch.....because it is LONG. And there are so many elements to the story of Esther. You would need to break up this story into segments in order to do it in a Sunday School setting.
But it tells the story of Esther so well. I love the skin tones. I love the fact that Esther is not a skinny bean pole. I love the repetition of "secretly working, working, working to keep his people safe." That occurs a lot and I would have children say that part with me.
Will I add this to my church's nursery? Yes. But is it for older (like 4 and 5 year olds). Yep
But it tells the story of Esther so well. I love the skin tones. I love the fact that Esther is not a skinny bean pole. I love the repetition of "secretly working, working, working to keep his people safe." That occurs a lot and I would have children say that part with me.
Will I add this to my church's nursery? Yes. But is it for older (like 4 and 5 year olds). Yep
July 24, 2023
Borrowed this and others in the series because the illustrations looked inviting. To be fair, the story of Esther is complex and violent, but I'm also not sure this would be my go-to telling of Esther for children (this book made me ask the question: do we really want to tell the story of Esther to children?).
March 1, 2022
I was looking for some well written Bible stories with brown skinned characters and was delighted to find this series. I have so many Bible storybooks but these are really unique. The illustrations are so vibrant and each story in the series focuses on another aspect besides the retelling. Creation highlights God's attention to color, Esther highlights the process of planning/ our plans vs God's plans, and the Easter story highlights feelings.
May 13, 2025
(5☆ Would recommend & would read again)
Cute story with colorful & engaging illustrations. I like how this book has repetition on the most important thing that the author wants children to remember.
Cute story with colorful & engaging illustrations. I like how this book has repetition on the most important thing that the author wants children to remember.
January 11, 2026
One of the most faithful version of Esther’s story from the Bible. Love how the details have been brought out in an age appropriate manner and illustrations are done beautifully keeping the place and culture in mind. Reference to God is spot on “God is secretly working, working, working..”
June 28, 2022
Another great Bible story about God working through a female hero!
March 9, 2023
A nice story showing how God is always working to rescue His people so that they can celebrate with Him.
May 25, 2023
All the books by Tim Thornborough are so fun and a great way to dog deeper into a Bible story with toddlers and preschoolers.
December 14, 2023
This series is quite good for following Bible stories closely and being appropriately readable for kids. I was impressed.
July 24, 2025
A brilliant book from a fantastic series. These are a MUST for all churches, church schools and Christian families.
This story teaches children about plans and planning.
This story teaches children about plans and planning.
August 15, 2023
A lovely unpacking of the Esther story, showing God's sovereignty.
It very much needed to go to Jesus at the end though, and the author even did all the ground work, saying "God's plans always come true - even when we can't see how - and even when things seem to be going wrong. God is always working, working, working to rescue His people so that they can celebrate with Him for ever." I mean this is just perfect for going to Jesus and the cross and resurrection, but he doesn't.
It very much needed to go to Jesus at the end though, and the author even did all the ground work, saying "God's plans always come true - even when we can't see how - and even when things seem to be going wrong. God is always working, working, working to rescue His people so that they can celebrate with Him for ever." I mean this is just perfect for going to Jesus and the cross and resurrection, but he doesn't.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews