Help kids ages 4+ learn how Samson points to Jesus with this beautifully illustrated Old Testament Bible story.
Part of the Jesus Moments series.
This fun, interactive resource will give children skills to read the Bible as they connect the stories and learn that the whole Bible is about Jesus.
Moments in Samson's story when something in the story is a little bit like Jesus are signposted with symbols that children need to spot, helping them to understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.
Children will see how Samson's story points ahead to Jesus through…
Written by Alison Mitchell, the award-winning author of Jesus and the Lions’ Den and The One O’Clock Miracle, and beautifully illustrated, this book makes a great gift for children ages 4+. It can also be used for children’s ministry.
The Story of Samson
Notes for Parents
| Age range: | 4+ |
|---|---|
| Contributors | Alison Mitchell, Noah Warnes |
| ISBN | 9781802544084 |
| Format | Hardback |
| First published | May 2026 |
| Dimensions | 215mm x 270mm x 10mm |
| Weight | 0.42 kg |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 32 |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
We want our kids to see that the Old Testament points to Christ. In her marvelous Jesus Moments series, Alison Mitchell helps children seek-and-find the Old Testament connection to Jesus in fun ways they'll be sure to remember!
What a clever series! By using symbols that children must find and explore, these books draw out significant links between Old Testament characters and Jesus. Perfect for parents and teachers who want to help their children understand God’s Big Story.
Jesus showed his followers in all the Old Testament “the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). The Old Testament comes into clear focus when we begin to see these wonderful things. Alison Mitchell draws children into this rich true way of reading the Old Testament. The books are fresh, lively, attractive, intriguing, and thought-provoking. Warmly recommended.
The Old Testament is full of stories that point to Jesus and that’s exactly what this wonderful series does for children, offering little hints throughout that highlight moments which remind us of Jesus.
The newest book in the series tells the story of Samson. Though he wasn’t deeply interested in God’s people and had many personal failings, God used him nonetheless. He was a deliverer of God’s people, but an imperfect one. Jesus, however, is the perfect Deliverer who saves His people once and for all.
Throughout the book, there are hidden combs that children will enjoy searching for. At the end, the “glimpses” of Jesus are explained. For example, the Philistine rulers offered Delilah thousands of silver coins to betray Samson—and she did—just as Judas would later betray Jesus. And when Samson stood in the temple of Dagon with his arms outstretched against the pillars as he was mocked, it points us to how Jesus was also mocked by His enemies while His arms were outstretched on the cross. In his death, Samson brought deliverance to God’s people from their enemies, just as Jesus, through His death, saves His people from sin and death.
I especially loved the illustrations in this one, particularly toward the end. The combs were very well hidden, which made it so fun for my son and me to search for them together. I definitely recommend this book, along with the others in this growing series that I’ve had the joy of reading.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
When you grow up hearing all the Bible stories in isolation, it can be easy to miss the big story. Over the past decade, many good children's books have attempted to show children this "big story" of the Bible.
The Jesus Moments series demonstrates how God's plan has always been one of sin, separation, and redemption.
This book is NOT saying that Samson is Jesus, but that parts of Samson's story point us to Christ. Samson was betrayed by a friend and later saved his people, just as Jesus did.
Children will love the "seek and find" aspect of this book. Hidden combs in the illustrations indicate when part of Samson's life parallels something in Christ's life.
What's Missing :
When I was a child, there were some parts of Samson's story that I didn't understand because most storybooks don't include them or poorly explained them.
We all know that Samson didn't cut his hair, but the Nazarite vow included other limitations as well. Samson broke these other parts of the vow before his hair was cut.
The book unintentionally implies that Samson's strength was in his hair. After his hair is cut, it says, "It looked like the end for Samson. But his hair began to grow...." The book does, however, also say that Samson prayed for strength to push down the pillars of the temple, reinforcing that Samson's strength came from God, not his hair.
Recommendation:
I enjoyed looking at Samson's story from a new angle, and I look forward to reading more in this series. I recommend this book for children ages 4-10.
