The Prince's Poison Cup

The Prince's Poison Cup is an amazing book by R.C. Sproul geared for children but just as good for parents. Dr. Sproul is a pastor, teacher, theologian, and philosopher who understands God's Word so well that he is able to make it understandable to children without sacrificing any of the deep, important meaning of important concepts. This is his fourth book for kids and each one keeps getting better. The Prince's Poison Cup is written to help kids understand the concept of substitutionary atonement. Dr. Sproul does this by first introducing us to Ella Ruth, who has a bad tummy ache and has to take some yucky medicine to make it go away. She doesn't understand why medicine that makes us feel better has to taste so bad. She turns to her grandpa for an answer and he responds with a story. In the story there is a king who is so powerful he is able to create anything. He makes a beautiful park and people to live in it. In the middle of the park he creates a fountain. Every day the king comes to visit his subjects. They have a wonderful relationship. The only thing that the king asks of his subjects is that they do not drink out of the fountain in the middle of the park. One day the king's archenemy convinces the people to go against the king's command and drink the water from the fountain. When they do, their hearts are turned to stone and they rebel against the king. They leave the park and build their own city and don't want anything to do with the king anymore. The king was angry that the people rebelled against him and so he placed a fountain in the middle of that city that was filled with poison - his wrath at the sin of his subjects. At the same time, the king still loved his subjects and desired to make a way that his wrath could be removed and the relationship could be restored with his people. The rest of the book is the story of how the king provides forgiveness for his people and how Ella Ruth's medicine is a reminder of what God did for us. This book is unlike anything else out there right now (except maybe Dr. Sproul's other kids' books). Kids' books today tend to take the Bible and the truths in it so lightly. Everything is "fun" and shallow. If there happens to be a "Bible story" included, it is usually out of context and doesn't give any explanation with how it fits in with the big picture of the Bible. The Prince's Poison Cup does not make any of those mistakes. The story and the truths it contains are rock solid and explained very well so that it is impossible to misunderstand the deep theology behind them. The artwork is absolutely beautiful and fits the feel of the story - rich, reverent, and serious. On top of all of that, in the back of the book there is a section for parents that gives Scripture passages that support the main points of the story that can be used for further discussion to make sure that kids pick up on the truths behind the story. All of this is done in a way that is very enjoyable to read over and over. Th

This is another of Dr. R. C. Sproul's great children's books, not only for children, but for adults too. A great book to read to your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A great big thanks to Dr. Sproul for sharing the gospel with us in a children's story for adults as well. bill in Missouri

RC Sproul has done it again! He's written a wonderfully, simple, engaging story about what Jesus did on the cross. The illustrations are outstanding. I've read it many times to my children since giving it to them on Christmas Day.

This is not your typical, fluffy, feelgood children's book. It does not hide sin and death, but instead seeks to make them more understandable to the young child. It is a book with purpose. This book is rife with opportunities to discuss difficult Christian concepts with children. An allegorical adaptation of the story of the cross, this piece covers such concepts as: the fall, the hard-heartedness of all humanity, the cost of sin, the necessity of the Son's sacrifice, redemption, God's goodness even when things seem bad, and Christ's resurrection, just to name a few. There is potential to discuss many more topics that are touched on in the book as well. I disagree with a previous reviewer, who felt that the points were not adequately clear. Truly good children's literature covers difficult concepts that cause children to ask questions and think for themselves. The idea is not for the child to sit alone in his or her room reading the book and fully understanding it, but for a parent to read it to them and guide them through the difficult parts. I think this book does this better than most. Without giving us all the answers, it allows the child to think and the parent to lead the child into a discussion of the real Prince, and the poison of our sin that he accepted on the Cross.

R. C. Sproul's writings have meant a lot to me for many years, so several years ago I noted with interest when he began writing children's books. This is the first of his children's books I have read however. I am now all the more interested to get his other children's books. This story is a good allegorical retelling of the gospel. The story begins with a little girl who loves to hear stories from her grandfather. She asks him, "If medicine helps us get better, why does it always seem to taste so bad?" From this question the grandfather tells her a story of how "sometimes things that seem terrible are actually very good." What follows then is medieval story of a people who rebelled against their good King (the King of Life) and drank from a forbidden fountain. As a result the people became wicked and abandoned the King. Eventually the King's Son, the Prince came and drank the deadly poison himself. The poison killed him, but the King brought him back to life. The Prince's action also turned the poisoned fountain into a life giving fountain that restored the people to the King. The story is well woven bringing in many facets of Christ's ministry and giving a good grasp of the atonement in basic terms. A discussion guide is also provided in the back to help parents discuss the book with their children. This is a great tool, because although the connections will seem obvious to those raised in the faith, this guide ensures that you can give this book to people with no background in the faith and they will be sure to see the connections being made. I commend this book heartily. Books like this are wonderful on various levels. For one, I like to be able to present the gospel regularly to my children from various angles. Secondly, this is a great tools for parents, helping them as they read to their children to better grasp the gospel and to learn to interpret some of the imagery of the Bible. Then, this is helpful not only for believing parents, but it can also be a good evangelism tool as you give books like this to non-Christian parents. Often time parents who do not profess faith will want their children to have some exposure to Christianity. Anyone reading this book- young or old- will hear the gospel, and that gospel is still the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16)! Lastly, the book also portrays a healthy family situation where a grandfather is involved in the life of hid grandchildren, where he is considered a source of wisdom, and where adults take time to tell stories and explain the gospel to children.