The Bible is full of many stories of real life heroes and the often triumphant and sometimes tragic lives they led. Of course there are David, Joseph and Noah, but did you know there are also Abigail, Deborah, Hannah, Ruth and Esther? They were five prominent women in the Bible who also made a profound impact on the world.
Bible Belles’ The Adventure of Rooney Cruz is an original book series written by Erin Weidemann. Bible Belles? I mean really. Why should the boys have all of the fun? Weiderman came up with the idea for the series after having difficulty finding a unique and significant gift for her niece. Looking beyond another toy, but wanting something appealing to a girl, Bible Belles came to life telling the stories biblical women. These are women who would inspire her niece as well as other girls.
The Adventures of Rooney Cruz Esther The Belle of Patience is the second book in the Bible Belles series. Readers again are introduced to Rooney Cruz, the main character, who walks them through the story that begins in the present and travels to the past to meet the featured belle in the story.
At the beginning of Esther The Belle of Patience, Rooney finds herself siting on the bench on a Saturday morning as she watches her teammate, Amanda, selfishly score points for her team. Amanda does not pass the ball, but instead repeatedly runs it down the field for the goal. By the end of the game, Rooney has had enough. As she proceeds to complain to her coach, Rooney is stopped short by Mari, an angel, that encourages Rooney to wait – be patient – because the time is not right. Meanwhile, Mari takes Rooney on a trip to the past to learn about Esther. It was Esther’s faith in God and patience for His timing that allowed her to be victorious in saving her people.
Weidemann does a good job of relating a situation your child may experience and showing how a similar one was overcome by the featured Bible Bell. It is the acquisition of super powers that I think the story moves away from being biblical. Mari is an angel who guides Rooney through the past as she learns about the notable Bible women. At each encounter, Rooney acquires a “super power” from each Bible Belle. In The Adventures of Rooney Cruz: Hannah by Bible Belles, she gains the “power” of prayer. In The Adventures of Rooney Cruz Esther The Belle of Patience Rooney gains the “power” of patience. Both powers are represented by a gold bell. Although Rooney is excited about receiving her new super power, I could not help but wonder what would happen if she lost the bell? Would she lose the super power attributed to the bell? I understand that once God gives you a gift, you never lose it. Being told the gift is a super power and having it be represented by a physical object may be confusing to a child.
When I think super hero, I think of someone who has an unobtainable power; power that is unique to them and not available to anyone else – a fantasy. Esther was courageous for God and faithful to Him, but that does not make her a super hero. God gave her the gift of patience and she allowed Him to work through her where she accomplished great things – truth. God can work through any of us and no bell is required. I believe Weidemann has good intentions with her desire to share about God, but mixing super hero powers and the power of God is not the right approach.