Don't Blame the Mud by Marty Machowski & illustrated by Craig MacIntosh -- Review

About the Book

For young readers and families, Don’t Blame the Mud paints a vivid and accurate picture of sin and God’s plan of redemption. Written by best-selling children’s author Marty Machowski, this beautifully illustrated picture book teaches children how to recognize the lure of temptation and the truth that bad choices lead to bad consequences.

One day, Max takes the muddy path along the creek home, disregarding his mother’s reminder to keep his school clothes clean. After crashing into a mud puddle, he tries to hide his mistake and discovers the stain of his sin goes deeper than the mud he can wash away. In this lovable, relatable, and heartwarming tale, Max learns his heart needs to be cleaned, and Jesus is the only one who can wash away his sin.

By clearly articulating the gospel, Don’t Blame the Mud helps parents create an environment of confession so kids can own up to their own mistakes—in the freedom of Christ—rather than place the blame elsewhere. Parents, teachers, and caretakers can help children identify with the real-life draw of temptation and the real-life consequences of sin, understanding the value of God’s salvation through the cross. Instead of teaching kids how to deal with a problem, Machowski uncovers the real issue of sin and provides a gospel answer.

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About the Author

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for more than twenty years. As leader of their children’s ministry, Promise Kingdom, he has worked for many years to develop curriculum and devotional material that connect church and home. His passion is equipping families to understand the Bible as one gospel story and help them share that with their children. He is the author of The Gospel Story for Kids series including Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God (OT); The Gospel Story Bible; and the Gospel Story Curriculum: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament and the forthcoming Old Story New (NT): Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and Gospel Story Curriculum: Following Jesus in the New Testament. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

WEBSITE

About the Author

Born into a military family. Raised in Hawaii. One foot in the surf, one foot in school. Loved art since kindergarten through college and beyond. Drafted in '66, served in the infantry, out in '70. Worked in journalism as a political cartoonist for 22 years. Spent the next 22 years as a syndicated cartoonist. Got into fiction writing in 2009 with the first of eight novels as of 2019. More stories to come...along with bronze sculptures, water-colors, and historical fiction.
So many stories, so little time.

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Review

Author Marty Machowski and illustrator Craig MacIntosh have come together and crafted a fun and unique children’s picture book about temptation and the consequence to making bad choices.  Portraying temptation as mud is a unique way of capturing the attention of children in a fun and positive learning environment.  This is not only a great parenting tool for teaching about temptation and consequences of bad choices, but also showing how God plays a role in it all.  The story is fun and enjoyable and there are great parenting resources in the back of the book.  A great read for children.
 
Genre: children’s, parenting
Publisher: New Growth Press
Publication date: May 27, 2019
Number of pages: 32
 
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Read with Audra.  A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.