WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden (Crossway, August 2015), written by best-selling author Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by award-winning artist Don Clark, has surpassed 100,000 units in print sales.
The popular children’s book traces the Bible’s core message of God’s redemptive plan through classic Bible stories, leading kids and parents alike on an exciting journey from the garden of Eden to the return of Christ. The story is told through whimsical words and powerful illustrations, imaginatively retelling “how the Snake Crusher brings us back to the garden.”
“We give thanks to God for the opportunity to publish such a beautiful book that both shows and tells the story of the greatest news in all the world, and we are delighted that this book is finding its way into the hands and hearts of countless families,” writes Justin Taylor, Executive Vice President of Book Publishing at Crossway.
DeYoung—a best-selling author, pastor, and father of six—wrote The Biggest Story to help readers see the overarching message of Scripture and connect the dots through classic Bible stories. “The Bible is a big story made up of lots of smaller stories,” says DeYoung in his note to parents at the end of the book. “Many children (and not few adults) learn to see the Bible as nothing but a nice collection of smaller stories. . . . without ever grasping the Biggest Story that makes sense of all the others.”
“The Biggest Story is a delight to the eyes, ears, and hearts of its readers,” write Matt and Lauren Chandler. “With rich illustrations and even richer text, the biggest and best story is presented in all of its vivid colors—every dark shade and every bright tone. Parent and child alike will feel the ache of the fallenness of human nature and the comfort of an always-faithful God. From our family to yours, we wholeheartedly commend this book!”
The Biggest Story is the first product in The Biggest Story suite, which also includes The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film (DVD) (Crossway, August 2016), The Biggest Story: The Audio Book (CD) (Crossway, August 2016), and The Biggest Story ABC (Crossway, August 2017).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin DeYoung is the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina. He is also assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) and a PhD candidate at the University of Leicester. He blogs at the Gospel Coalition and has authored or coauthored numerous well-known books, including Just Do Something; The Hole in Our Holiness; Crazy Busy; and Taking God At His Word.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Don Clark is an artist and the cofounder of Invisible Creature, a widely respected and cutting-edge design company in Seattle, Washington.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-centered content, to honor our Savior and serve his Church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information visit crossway.org.
Contact: Lauren Harvey • lharvey@crossway.org (630) 682-4300 ext. 6031 • crossway.org
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BIGGEST STORY
“I love what Kevin has done here! I’m buying a copy for each of my grandkids.”
RICK WARREN, #1 New York Times best-selling author, The Purpose Driven Life; pastor, Saddleback Church
“The Biggest Story is a delight to the eyes, ears, and hearts of its readers. With rich illustrations and even richer text, the biggest and best story is presented in all of its vivid colors—every dark shade and every bright tone. Parent and child alike will feel the ache of the fallenness of human nature and the comfort of an always-faithful God. From our family to yours, we wholeheartedly commend this book!”
MATT AND LAUREN CHANDLER, lead pastor, The Village Church, Dallas, Texas; president, Acts 29 Church Planting Network; and his wife Lauren, writer; speaker; singer
“Kevin DeYoung has written a delightful book that both young and old will enjoy. The Biggest Story is a small treatment of a huge theme—God’s drama of redemption, centered on Jesus Christ. Kevin’s words are fresh, engaging, playful, and biblical. Many Bible storybooks offer pearls without a string. This one puts the pearls on a string—the right one. The result is magnificent and memorable.”
RANDY ALCORN, founder and director, Eternal Perspective Ministries; author, Heaven; The Treasure Principle; and The Ishbane Conspiracy
“Rarely has one heard The Greatest Story ever told like this—with such winsome grace and compelling truth. Once we began, we couldn’t stop reading the The Biggest Story aloud to our family, all in one sitting. Laughed, stilled, and wept by the last line—the moving glory of his amazing grace.”
ANN VOSKAMP, New York Times best-selling author, One Thousand Gifts
“So often, our kids hear individual stories from the Bible without fully understanding how these accounts are tied to the ‘biggest story’ of Christ’s ultimate victory over sin. Kevin DeYoung has linked together the Bible stories that are familiar to children into one, enthralling volume. From the first page to the last, kids will come to understand why Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension are truly at the center of all of history.”
JIM DALY, president, Focus on the Family
“Have you ever wanted to hug a book? This is how I felt after reading The Biggest Story. It awakened childlike wonder in this grandmother’s heart. The charming words and illustrations creatively tell the biggest and best story—the drama of redemption in Christ.”
SUSAN HUNT, former director, Women’s Ministries, PCA; coauthor, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church
“In The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung masterfully tells the story of man’s inability to be good enough and God’s enduring faithfulness to his promise to bring us back to paradise. This is the big picture, not the typical moralistic way of telling the Bible’s story. This book is engaging and wonderfully illustrated; your kids will want sit on your lap and have you read it again and again.”
TEDD TRIPP, pastor; international conference speaker; author, Shepherding a Child’s Heart
“Besides the Bible, this is exactly the kind of book that I love to give as a gift. All day long, from infancy to adulthood, we are all invited to participate in different stories—wear this product, use this technology, vote this way, go to this school, follow this leader. What could be more important than teaching our children the Big Story? Kevin’s retelling of the Serpent-Crusher’s conquest will be beloved by parents and children alike.”
GLORIA FURMAN, author, The Pastor’s Wife; Missional Motherhood; and Alive in Him
“The Biggest Story is a family worship favorite around our household. The kids love hearing the story of Scripture read as one continuous adventure. From toddlers to adults, this book teaches important truths about God, his Word, and the history of his work in the world.”
DAVID AND HEATHER PLATT, president, International Mission Board; author, Radical
