After I opened The One o’Clock Miracle – written by Alison Mitchell and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri – it was hard to put this book down. The pages drew me in; they are illustrated so beautifully, in such a cute, colorful, and unique manner. The book is based on the healing of the official’s son in John chapter 4. The story serves as a nice Bible lesson, and would be a good story for a children’s Sunday School class or library time at a Christian school. Echeverri gracefully varies the illustration format, with some pages including many small drawings, and others showcasing large drawings. The characters’ expressions are nicely drawn, and the reader can easily see what the characters are thinking and feeling. The font was aesthetically pleasing.

Though the story deals with a very serious issue – the near-death of a child – it is also a very positive, upbeat story, celebrating the power of Jesus’ healing. As the story progresses, there is a certain excitement that builds, and the reader feels as if he is cheering on the protagonist. The story is simple enough for a school-age child to read, but it is stylistically written with a nice flow. It is so great to find a well-written, well-drawn children’s book that also depicts a Biblical story. This book is a gem, and I definitely want to check out other works by Mitchell and Echeverri, such as The Christmas Promise.

I received a review copy from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. The book can be found here on Amazon.