A Front Row Seat to Epic Bible Events
New installment in middle-grade fiction series from Marty Machowski offers a new perspective on Old Testament stories from the animals who could have been there.
Imagine being there as the Red Sea opened up to let the Israelites pass through. What would have been like to be on Mt. Sinai as Moses received the Ten Commandments? In The Prophecy and the Hope (New Growth Press/September 30, 2024), book two in the Redemption Tales series,best-selling children’s author Marty Machowski invites middle-grade readers to join the fictional animals who witnessed the most epic events in Scripture as they took place.
The Prophecy and the Hope begins as oxen brothers Otto and Oscar stand trapped and terrified between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s approaching army along with all of Israel. Yes, God has brought them this far out of the misery of Egypt but escape now seems impossible!When Moses shouts, “Fear not. Stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord,” everyone gasps as the cloud of the Lord billows up and blocks the enemy from advancing. Then the wind begins to blow. Will the oxen and the rest of Israel be able to outrun the enemy?
The Redemption Tales series for readers ages 8–12, offers a creative presentation of the gospel message. The first installment, The Shadow and the Promise, followed the tales of the animals as the events of Genesis and Exodus up to the Passover unfolded before them. In this second release of the series, the adventures continue through the end of the Old Testament. Young readers will not only join the oxen at the Red Sea but will meet mountain goats at Mount Sinai, Rahab’s pets in Jericho, horses watching as David faces Goliath, the Queen of Sheba’s camels, ravens with Elijah, and mice in Isaiah’s house. As their stories progress, the animals begin to gather the prophetic hints of the redemption to come with the help of an ever-present dove named Daniel.
For a deeper study of the truth hidden within each chapter, The Prophecy and the Hope includes discussion questionsto acquaint kids with the “truth behind the tales.” The entire series offers a new point of view of God’s overarching story of redemption found throughout his Word.
“Why are the stories of God’s work in history so fantastic? For example, why did God use a miraculous staff, numerous plagues, and opening a body of water to deliver his people from Egypt? Why did God go through all that trouble when he could have delivered his people with a single word? He did it to show his mighty power to his people then and to create a grand salvation story for the generations to come (see Exodus 10:1–2). He wanted us to know him and his power, holiness, mercy, and most of all, his unfailing love, so that wetoo might believe. The Redemption Tales are more than fiction—their truth has the power to transform you completely,” Machowski writes in the introduction.
The third installment in the Redemption Tales series, The Light and the Life will be released on February 10, 2025, followed by the final installment, The Death and the Victory on September 1, 2025. Both of these books feature events of the New Testament.
The Prophecy and the Hope
The Redemption Tales, Book 2
By Marty Machowski, Illustrated by Blair Files
ISBN 978-1-64507-474-8
September 30, 2024 / Retail Price $16.99
Juvenile Fiction / Religious / Christian / Action and Adventure
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for thirty years. Machowski leads Promise Kingdom, the gospel-centered children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the Executive Editor for Children’s Resources at New Growth Press. He is the author of a number of family devotionals, Sunday School curriculums (including the Gospel Story Curriculum), children’s books, and parenting titles. His latest releases include The Treasure, Angels on Your Side, and The Shadow and the Promise. Machowski and his wife, Lois, have six children and several grandchildren. They reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Learn more at www.martymachowski.com. He can also be found on Instagram (@martymachowski) and Twitter (@MartyMachowski).
Blair Files is an illustrator and textile designer based in New York City. She is inspired by colorful characters, travels abroad, and of course, great stories. She is the illustrator of the Redemption Tales series. Her work and sketchbook can be found at www.blairfiles.com.
