Hidden Details in Seek and Find: New Testament Bible Stories

When illustrating the Seek and Find series, as well as the 450-plus things to find, count and sort, it's always fun to add a few little biblical details to each spread. Here are a few hidden things to look out for in our newest volume, Seek and Find New Testament Bible Stories:

Spread 1: 'Baby Jesus is born'

• We know Joseph was a carpenter by trade, so he’s brought along his tools to use during his stay in Bethlehem.

Spread 2: 'Jesus in the temple courts'

• The two boys stealing a loaf of bread are in fact the young brothers, Andrew and Peter. They are a few years younger than Jesus and they pay no heed to the boy talking to the elders—the boy they will one day leave everything to follow.

Spread 3: 'A paralysed man is healed'

• A Pharisee is so stunned by the miracle that he drops his walking stick! This character can also be seen on the previous spread, talking with the young Jesus in the temple courts.
• The framed picture on the wall reads “Peace” in Hebrew. Jesus is bringing peace with God through the forgiveness of sins to this formerly paralysed man.

Spread 4: 'Jesus calms a storm'

• This is the first time we show all the disciples together, so we put a lot of thought into their design, making sure each were distinct, recognisable characters, with some details giving a clue to their history or personality:

1. Jesus!
2. Judas—he’s not used to sailing and he gives up hope pretty quickly.
3. Thaddeus
4. James
5. Thomas
6. Andrew, brother of...
7. Simon Peter—there’s a family likeness between these two, and their clothing is recognisable from when we saw them as boys in the temple.
8. Philip
9. Levi/Matthew—a tax collector. He’s unused to sailing after a career behind a desk and he’s feeling a little unwell.
10. Nathanael/Bartholomew
11. Simon the Zealot—a large, strong man, used to taking action.
12. James, brother of...
13. John—we’ve depicted these two “Sons of Thunder” as twins.

• All the fish species on this page are native to the Sea of Galilee, including freshwater crabs!

Spread 5: 'Jesus loves little children'

• Two Roman soldiers feature on this page, lounging in the market, as the Roman occupation was very much in force.
• The fruit seller was present in the temple courts page, selling olives. He has since expanded his business!

• We wanted to be diverse on this page in both ethnicity and ability, to try to reflect something of Jesus’ great love for all children made in his image. The little boy on the stool next to Jesus has Down’s Syndrome and has taken pride of place next to Jesus, his friend.

Spread 6: 'Zacchaeus meets Jesus'

• Two Pharisees are grumbling in the corner as Jesus addresses Zacchaeus.
• Some coins are falling from the tree, a little nod to Zach’s profession. He will soon be giving his coins away!

Spread 7: 'The special meal'

• We wanted to reflect the historical setting of the Last Supper as best we could here. It is a humble room, lamplit, with rough walls and floor. Some mismatched tables and stools have been pushed together to accommodate the group, with most on cushions on the floor. Matthew is coming up the stairs with wine, indicating that it is an upper room.
• Wine, bread, olives and roasted lamb are on the table.
• Jesus is breaking bread as he looks ahead to the time his body will be broken for these men.
• Judas is dipping a piece of bread in the bowl (Mark 14:20).

Spread 8: 'Jesus is alive!'

• We wanted this resurrection spread to be full of joy and colour, reminiscent of the garden of Eden.As Jesus bursts forth in new life, the sun is rising, shedding light on the scene. The garden is full of frogs and butterflies, symbolic of new life and transformation.
• Mary has flung her bottle of incense away: there is no longer any need to embalm a body
• Jesus’ outfit is similar to the one he has been wearing throughout the book, but now with a gold trim as he has proven his deity in resurrection.
• The holes from the nails are present in Jesus’ hands and feet.
• The seal on the stone is broken, just as the grip of death was broken.
• The linen grave-clothes are folded.
• Shields lay on the floor, from the guards who fled in terror.
• Wheelbarrows and rakes are present. We know that Mary first mistook Jesus for a gardener!

Flora and fauna

• We love having lots and lots of fun animals and plants for children to seek and find while listening to the Bible stories. But it's important to us that children understand these are true stories that happened in a real place. For that reason, ALL the animals and plants featured in the Seek and Find series are species that can be found in Israel. Here is a small selection of some featured in Seek and Find New Testament Bible Stories:

1. Desert Owl
2. Bee-eater
3. Sinai agama
4. Black-headed bunting
5. Golden squirrel
6. Syrian woodpecker
7. Sycamore-Fig
8. Hoopoe
9. White wagtail
10. Star of Jerusalem
11. Blanford's fox
12. Middle Eastern tree frog

In Seek and Find: New Testament Bible Stories, children will not only love finding, counting and sorting over 450 hidden things in this beautifully illustrated book, but they will also learn key truths about Jesus through retellings of New Testament stories. They will learn that Jesus is God's perfect Son, who can change our hearts, and that we can always trust him. Explore the Seek and Find series here.