I Am the Bright and Morning Star by Adam Oblad
What's It About?
This book shares the gospel message with children through astronomy, providing them with an understanding of the planets, their distances and their paths through our solar system.Adam Oblad is an author who enjoys sharing the gospel message with children and enjoys doing it through astronomy. In his delightful I Am the Bright and Morning Star (Christian Faith Publishing), he shares relevant lessons from the scriptures while teaching important truths.
Oblad writes in an entertaining and engaging manner that will resonate with children. He starts out with some fun facts. For example, did you know that the moon is 239,000 miles from the Earth – or the same distance as walking along the Great Wall of China 18 times? Then he notes that a football field is 300 feet long, “but whose feet?” he wonders.
All this is a way to get into a discussion about the solar system, its planets and their respective distances. As it turns out, Oblad notes, Venus, the second planet from the sun and the one right next to Earth, was given a special orbit through space, allowing it to be seen from Earth in the morning and the evening. Hence, it is the “morning star” and “evening star” – even though it is a planet and not a star at all.
Tells the Story of Religious Figures
While Venus “moves curiously about within the heavens,” the author explains that Venus is constantly telling us a wonderful story, “sharing the gospel, and a story about Jesus and His important mission on Earth.” The orbit that Venus follows around the Sun was designed in the beginning by Jesus, for His specific purpose, writes the author.
Oblad explains that Venus goes through different phases that correlate with important phases that Jesus also went through. Birth, for example, is when Venus first appears in the west, dimly in the night sky, much like the birth of Jesus, which was not readily noticed by pretty much anyone except for the shepherds and the three wise men. Similar with Prime, Death and then of course Resurrection, when the planet and Jesus both come back to life.
Gentle and Creative Approach
Parents will find I Am the Bright and Morning Star as a simple book with a simple message, expressed with joy both charmingly and delicately by the author. The book’s illustrations serve to further attract young children to the book and its message. One of particular note is right opposite Oblad’s listing of the nine planets, in which a girl is holding nine boxes of pizza just served up by the girl’s mother!
Without taking a heavy-handed approach at all in delivering his message, Oblad has let children in on some fun storytelling and some life lessons – that’s the formula for encouraging our young readers, especially if a gospel message of this nature is paramount for parents to get across to their children.
The book is available for purchase here.
About Adam Oblad:
Adam Oblad is happy to be known as a fellow believer in Christ. Adam enjoys sharing the beautiful gospel message. Adam is married to his high school sweetheart, and together, they are proud parents of three beautiful children. Adam follows aviation, astronomy, and Jesus. Learning to fly airplanes was an exciting adventure for Adam. He also enjoys hiking, traveling, and learning new things. Adam graduated from UVU with a degree in aviation management and flight technology. Being outdoors and exploring the Wasatch Mountains is one of his favorite pastimes. Adam lives with his family and two friendly dogs near Tanner’s Peak in Herriman, Utah.
