Little Pilgrim's Progress

 

Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic
by Helen L. Taylor
184 pages (Part One only), 323 pages total
Fiction – Children’s Literature

This classic novel contains two sections labeled Part One and Part Two. Part One recounts the adventure of Christian, the Little Pilgrim, as he journeys from his town of Destruction to the Celestial City. The allegorical story contains encouragement for young readers to start their own spiritual journey as well as spiritual lessons to help their faith mature. The derivative Part Two follows Christian’s friend, Christiana, as she repeats the journey. I advise skipping Part Two entirely; it lets down the novel. This review is based on Part One, unless otherwise noted.

I have memories of hearing this story as a child and wanted to revisit it now that I have children. It is very readable with short 3-4 page chapters and descriptive chapter titles. I couldn't read more than 50 pages at a time without falling asleep. This book has built in sleeping properties! It would be a great book to read a couple chapters at a time to a child before bedtime. I’ve also heard of families using it during family devotions with young children. I loved the play on words with the naming of characters, for example: Evangelist, Obstinate, Pliable and Worldly. It was a built in vocabulary lesson for old-fashioned words. It is geared toward children (target age 6 – 12) but also enjoyable for adults. It is a great adventure and faith story, especially for boys!

Just FYI for parents of children with sensitive minds: A boy named Faithful is killed in front of Christian, but it is not explicitly descripted. The reader hears that a giant plucks the eyes out of some pilgrims and leaves them to wander around until they die. Also, the Shining Ones (God's angels) explicitly hand Ignorance over to the evil Prince (the devil).

I was not a fan of Part Two. Christiana's story was derivative of Part One but also confusing in a troubling way. I might read it to boys, who may pick up the messages about the importance of having a Great Heart and Mercy. They may also learn that girls should receive extra care and assistance. I would not read it to my girls, who might get the message that they are not capable or responsible for their own spiritual journey.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This classic allegorical Christian tale is elevating for both children and adults. It is best suited for children ages 6 - 12, especially boys. Younger children may also enjoy hearing this story, but will probably not benefit from the spiritual lessons.