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Review: Jude and the Extraordinary, Spectacular, Miraculous Day

ByKelly Keller

Most American childhoods contain at least one reading of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This recounting of the trials and travails of a very average boy, slogging his way through the ups and downs of his average childhood, is a relatable examination of the emotions and challenges presented to kids. I loved it as a child; my own kids also enjoyed it.

Part of what we need to live with as human beings is what is captured in that story: the day-in and day-out-ness of it. Most days are pretty average, and some, as Alexander expereinces, are extra challenging even as they are “usual.”

One of the delights of the Christian life is seeing how God’s handiwork converts our “usual” into something redemptive, and sometimes something miraculous. This is the journey the reader goes on in the new book from author-illustrator Jessica Dennis Bush: Jude and the Extraordinary, Spectacular, Miraculous Day: A Creative Retelling of the Feeding of the 5, 000.

In this beautiful book, designed for children aged four to seven, we meet Jude, a small boy who lives with his father and mother, his little brother, Peter, and his dog, Cleo. He wakes up on an average day, has his usual, modest breakfast, and heads out with his usual, routine lunch in hand. He waves to his neighbors, who are all busy doing their ordinary work.

But along his way, he encounters something very unusual for such an ordinary day thus far. He crests a hill and looks down on a massive crowd, straining to hear the teachings of a man standing by the shore of the sea. Men, women, and children are captivated by his teaching. It is, of course, Jesus of Nazareth, and as he speaks, Jesus’ words do a work on Jude’s heart. He senses a transformation happening within him, and he wonders what it might mean.

When Jesus’ teaching concludes, he walks among the crowd and understands that they need something to eat. When Jesus asks for help from the crowd, Jude raises his small sack lunch in reply. And so, another miracle begins.

Jesus broke the bread and fish, and the disciples shared food with each and every person who had gathered to see Jesus. There were even extras! Their bellies were full and, for those who believed, their hearts were even fuller. They had truly seen Jesus—his heart for people and his power to make the ordinary, the simple, the ‘not enough’ into something extraordinary, spectacular, and miraculous.

Along the course of this story, the words “extraordinary, spectacular, miraculous” jump off the page in repeated usage. The repetition helps bring home the idea that this was an ordinary boy, on an ordinary day, who, when he encountered Jesus, experienced something extraordinary. The reader is greeted by the happy conclusion that our most humble, ordinary offerings can turn into miraculous offerings in the hands of Jesus.

Bush’s illustrations are the star of the show here, though. The medium is collage; layers of paintings and cut paper adorn each generous two-page spread. The result is similar to the beloved books of Lois Ehlert: stand-out graphic design and lots for little eyes to look at. The color palette is muted greens and blues. It’s true to the Holy Land setting without being drab.

The creator of the book, Jessica Dennis Bush, is a studio artist in Wheaton, Illinois, where she lives with her husband and five children. She has a degree in studio art from Taylor University. She works in oil painting, collage, and pattern design, and you can see more of her work at her website.

This book is easily readable in one sitting and will transfix your little listeners with a hopeful narrative of redemption and new creation, even amidst the ordinary days of life.

Kelly Keller
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