Joel and the Locusts

An Army of Locusts. A Desperate People. And a God Who Calls Them Back.

It sounds like a disaster movie. An enormous army of locusts has swept through Israel, devouring every crop in sight. A drought has dried up the streams. The land is desolate. The people are desperate. And at the centre of it all, a prophet named Joel cries out to God — and God answers with one of the most dramatic and important messages in all of Scripture.

Joel and the Locusts brings the book of Joel to life for young readers in an attractively illustrated retelling that makes this minor prophet feel anything but minor. Brian J. Wright and John R. Brown take children through the vivid, urgent, and ultimately hopeful story of Joel — showing how God's warnings come before his judgement, how genuine repentance leads to genuine renewal, and how the great Day of the Lord is both a day to fear and a day to hope for, depending on where you stand.

This is a book that teaches children some of the most essential lessons of the Christian life — that God is serious about sin, that he calls his people to genuine repentance, and that he is always ready to forgive everyone who is truly sorry and turns to him.

What This Book Covers

Brian J. Wright and John R. Brown work through the key events and themes of the book of Joel:

• The locust plague — How an army of locusts devastated Israel's crops, leaving the people with nothing — and why it happened
• God's warning — How God had warned Israel long ago that this would happen if they did not listen to him — and what that means for how we read their crisis
• Joel's cry to God — How the prophet Joel responded to the catastrophe — not with despair but with urgent, faithful prayer
• The Day of the Lord — What God told Joel about the coming day when he will arrive with his angelic army to set things right — judging the wicked and forgiving the repentant
• Repentance — What genuine repentance looks like — turning from sin with a truly sorry heart — and why God calls his people to it
• Renewal — How God responds to genuine repentance with forgiveness, restoration, and renewal — making Joel's message as relevant today as when it was first written
• The major lessons of a minor prophet — Why the book of Joel, small as it is, contains some of the most important truths in all of Scripture

What Children Will Learn

• Who Joel was and what the book of Joel is about
• Why the locust plague happened and what it was meant to communicate to Israel
• What the Day of the Lord means — and why it is both a warning and a hope
• What repentance actually is — not just feeling sorry, but genuinely turning back to God with a whole heart
• How God responds to genuine repentance — with forgiveness, restoration, and renewal
• Why the minor prophets are not minor in importance — and why their messages speak as powerfully today as they did in ancient Israel
• That God is serious about sin, faithful to his warnings, and always ready to forgive those who truly turn to him

How to Use This Book

Joel and the Locusts is engaging, illustrated, and immediately usable:

• Family reading — A wonderful book to read together at home, opening up conversations about repentance, forgiveness, and the character of God
• Sunday school and children's ministry — An ideal resource for introducing children to the minor prophets and the essential lessons of Joel
• Bible survey for children — A natural fit for families or churches wanting to take children through the whole Bible, including the often-overlooked minor prophets
• Bedtime reading — Engaging and illustrated enough to hold a child's attention, substantial enough to leave them with something to think about
• Gift for children — A meaningful and attractively illustrated gift for any child learning to love the whole Bible

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for:

• Children who are ready to begin exploring the minor prophets and the rich, urgent messages they contain
• Parents wanting to help their children engage with parts of the Bible they might never otherwise encounter — and discover that the minor prophets have major things to say
• Sunday school teachers and children's ministry leaders looking for an attractively illustrated resource to introduce children to the book of Joel and its themes of repentance and renewal
• Churches wanting to help children develop a love for the whole Bible — not just the most familiar stories
• Any family that wants their children to grow up knowing: Every part of the Bible has something important to say — even the minor prophets

About the Authors

Brian J. Wright is a biblical scholar and author known for his careful attention to Scripture and his ability to make biblical content accessible and engaging for a wide range of readers. He brings to Joel and the Locusts both scholarly depth and a genuine desire for children to encounter the richness of the minor prophets.

John R. Brown brings complementary gifts to the project — combining biblical faithfulness with an accessible, story-driven approach that makes the book of Joel come alive for young readers. Together, Wright and Brown have produced a retelling that is both theologically reliable and genuinely engaging for children.

About the Minor Prophets Series

Joel and the Locusts is part of the Minor Prophets series — a collection of attractively illustrated retellings designed to introduce children to the often-overlooked books of the minor prophets. Each volume brings one of these ancient books to life in a way that is accessible, engaging, and theologically faithful — helping children discover that the minor prophets contain major lessons for the Christian life.