Coming Home Book Description:
Twin brothers Arion and Argo are scared. They have spent most of their lives shipwrecked on the lonely, gray island of Terrene with their ship’s captain, and now he is leaving and they cannot imagine life on Terrene without him. He is going to Bluestone, a place where the birds always sing and the grass is ever green. He tells them he is going to prepare a place for them in Bluestone. Then he will come back for them, and they will all go to Bluestone together.
Though Bluestone sounds like a wonderful place, the boys find it difficult to wait for the captain on Terrene. The island is so gray that it is hard for them to imagine the vibrant colors of Bluestone. Soon they grow tired of watching and waiting for their captain, and it is hard for them to remember his voice. Can they really believe that he will come back for them? To do so they must have faith-they must see with their hearts, not their eyes.
Will the captain really come back for Arion and Argo like he promised? And will the boys be ready for his return?
About the Author:
Max Lucado is a best-selling inspirational author and speaker, and a minister of preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Full Bio…
Book Details:
- Reading level: Ages 4 and up
- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Crossway (January 9, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1581347561
- ISBN-13: 978-1581347562
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 10 inches
- List Price: $15.99
My Thoughts:
Argo and Arion have been stranded on an island with the captain for 14 years, and now he is leaving. The boys do not understand, but the captain promises that he will one day be back for them after he prepares a place for them in Bluestone. They need to make sure they are ready. The boys are to help each other prepare for his return by focusing on the beauty of their permanent home and not their temporary home.
The island (Terrene) is meant to signify a sin-filled earth that is gloomy due to sin tainting everything around. The captain signifies Christ. Bluestone signifies heaven. The gray that covers the island is obviously meant to show the sin of the world as Bluestone is filled with color. The forest is the world that tries to draw people in and turn them away from Christ.
The meaning, to me, is clear, but it may not be for the target audience of 4-10 year-olds without some explaining. This is one book that would have benefited greatly with a study guide and/or discussion questions to help readers dig deeper into the meaning of the story. Parents will probably want to sit down with their children to get a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the story.
The other concern that I have with the story is that while Arion chose to stay the course given to him by the captain, Argo chose to go into the island and be tainted by the island. He had no remorse for this. In fact, he tried to get his brother to follow his lead. When the captain returned, Arion was ready to go, but Argo was not. Yet, here’s the confusing part of the story as it doesn’t fit with the scripture event of Christ’s return, Argo is still allowed to go with the captain even though he never asks forgiveness, never shows a remorseful heart. He was not ready for the captains return, but he is still welcomed aboard the ship heading for Bluestone. This, in my opinion, was a huge miss. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind this ending to the story as it’s clearly not how things will go upon Christ’s return. I guess Max Lucado just wanted a happy ending?
Justin Gerard did a wonderful just with the illustrations. While dark, the detail in the characters is quite nice, and the pictures enhance the overall feel of the story.
While I normally really like Max Lucado’s books, I’m not sure that I would recommend this one due to the serious flaw in the ending of the story.
I receive a copy of this book as a member of the Crossway Homeschool Book Review Program. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own.
