Book Review: Freddie’s Fast-Cash Getaway: The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Author: Bill Myers
Illustrator: Andy J. Smith
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Publication Date: March 2009
Language: English
ISBN: 0310712181

I wanted to extend my sincerest thanks to Lindsey Rodarmer at Zonderkidz for giving me the opportunity to review Bill Myers’ Freddie’s Fast-Cash Getaway: The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Freddie’s Fast-Cash Getaway is the third installment in The Bug Parables series written by Bill Myers and illustrated by Andy J. Smith. The Bug Parables series strives to bring the parables of Jesus to life in humorous and creative ways that will appeal to children ages 4 – 7. This latest title is a colorful bug-sized retelling of the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-32.

The prodigal son is played by an ant named Freddie. He has aspirations to leave the family worm farm behind for a more adventurous life in the big city. Surprisingly, his father grants his request and Freddie is off to fulfill his aspirations. After only a short time in the big city, Freddie discovers that he ran out of friends as soon as he ran out of money. Out of desperation, he takes the dangerous job of cleaning the cat cage at the carnival and soon comes to realize that even his father’s servants live better than this. With the little money he earned, Freddie returns home to discover love and forgiveness from the father who never stopped watching and waiting for him.

Your children ages 4 – 7 will enjoy reading about Freddie’s misadventure in the big city. I especially enjoyed the rhyming throughout the entire story. This made it fun to read and kept the story moving at a steady pace. Andy J. Smith has included a lot of intricate details in the illustrations, so be sure to take some time to examine each scene in the book. If you enjoy Freddie’s Fast-Cash Getaway, you should also consider Stink Bug Saves the Day!: The Parable of the Good Samaritan and The House That Went Ker—Splat!: The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, also from The Bug Parables series.

Bill Myers (www.billmyers.com) is a bestselling author and award-winning writer/director whose work has won forty national and international awards. His books and videos have sold eight million copies and include such titles as The Seeing, Eli, The Voice, My Life as…series, and McGee and Me.

Andy J. Smith thought about careers as a Walrus Wrangler, Intergalactic Spy, and Ghost Hunter but they didn’t pan out. So Andy thought he’d try drawing silly pictures for a living. It turned out to be a great choice! Before getting into illustration, Andy worked on several graphic novels and now has added picture book illustrations to his portfolio. He promises there will be many more books!

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