"The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old is unveiled in the New." ~St. Augustine
I remember in late college when I was first introduced to the idea of typology during a Bible Study. Finding clues in the Old Testament that pointed to the coming of Jesus (and Mary, the Church, the Sacraments, etc.) and then seeing how those promises were fulfilled in the New Testament became like a curiosity-driven treasure hunt as I read and studied Sacred Scripture. Many years have passed, and Typology has become one of my very favorite ways to pray with the Old Testament. But I do remember wondering why it took so long for me to be introduced to this ancient idea!
Fortunately, today's Catholic kids don't have to wait for a college level class to begin understanding Biblical Typology. The Old and New Series is my absolute favorite typology tool to use in my classroom, and the books make it so easy for kids to make connections between the Old and New Testaments. As my students have read these, I literally get to watch those "light bulb" moments happen where they start to see all of the puzzle pieces come together.
I love them so much that when I had a donation to use on books for my classroom a couple of years ago, I requested that part of the money be used on a class set of these books so that I can better use them as a teaching resource. I have 5 or 6 copies of each title and specifically use them during a unit on the Old Testament with my 7th graders. They are able to analyze and discuss the content, but younger children will certainly enjoy the stories, especially as a read aloud where you look to find all of the connections in the matching illustrations and text.
The Old and New Series was written by the wonderful Maura Roan McKeegan with illustrations by the talented Ted Schluenderfritz. The last book in the series, The Word Within, was also coauthored by none other than Dr. Scott Hahn. The End of the Fiery Sword was actually one of the very first books that I every reviewed, so it is exciting to see the series come full circle with its sixth and final book. The titles include:
You can find the whole set at Emmaus Road Publishing here.
The Word Within: The Ark of the Covenant and Mary is the most recent, and final, addition to this collection. I'm so glad to see the series come to a conclusion and grateful to be able to use these books in my classroom for years to come. You may enjoy
reading this interview from a few years ago where I got to ask Maura Roan McKeegan a few questions about quality children's books.
To help my students better understand the Biblical basis for each of these books, I made a study sheet for comparison. The sheet will allow students to read the actual text in Sacred Scripture and examine the similarities and differences in the stories. Then they can read the book from the Old and New series to gather deeper understanding through the poetic storytelling and detailed illustrations. Using the Biblical text is important, but I know that the books will help them draw connections, make comparisons, and help them comprehend the typology in a developmentally appropriate way.
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