Welcome to Book Zone Reviews’ stop on the virtual tour for Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin by Dennis Conrad hosted by Celebrate Lit. Travel with me to a time when coins were called denarii vs pennies, nickels, dimes, etc. You also don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to enter the giveaway so scroll down.
Marcus and the Emperor's Coin by Dennis Conrad
Illustrator: Courtney Smith
Series: In God We Trust #2
Published by Elk Lake Publishing Inc. on October 30, 2023
ISBN: 979-8891340244
Genres: Christian Picture Books
Pages: 52
Buy on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop
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Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin is an exciting adventure in the Ancient Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Eight-year-old Marcus and his father are on a mission for the Emperor and visit a mine and a mint where coins are made. Marcus himself makes a denarius, a coin with the emperor’s image.
Marcus goes to Jerusalem where he sees Jesus hold a denarius saying, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What will seeing Jesus mean for Marcus, and will he ever be the same again?
MY THOUGHTS
Marcus and the Emperor’s Coin is a delightful book. Marcus’ excitement and energetic personality are infectious. The sense of something important about to happen is done well and you are along for the ride.
The author handles our fear of messing up when doing things of importance so delicately it is a perfect setup for the climax later on in the book. (Had to edit out a spoiler)
- Through Marcus, we learn that no matter our doubts, fears, or insecurities trying and not giving up allows God to help us reach the goal ahead.
- Through Marcus’ reigning in his desire to dance and shout, we learn that there’s a time and place for everything.
I felt that this book demonstrated Romans 8:28 which says, “All things work together for good for they who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”
We all have a purpose in this world and this was a pivotal moment for Marcus where he realized that he can be used BY God. Not only does this book include a lesson about faith. It also includes a lesson about coin collecting, which is the author’s lifelong hobby and I found that very unique. I also loved the correlation of the series title of In God We Trust to the fact that it is written on current coins.
There are also scripture references in the back of the book, information about actual denarii, and coin collecting which add more value to the book.
I recommend this book to parents, churches, classrooms, and libraries. Every child needs an introduction to Jesus and needs to see that no matter their perceived failing, they still have a useful part to play in God’s Kingdom and society.
About Dennis Conrad
A former coin collector for over fifty years, Dennis combines his love for the Bible, children’s literature, and sharing stories about the history behind coins.
Dennis retired as a professor of speech communications from Barstow Community College. He and his wife served as English and public speaking teachers ten summers overseas.
Dennis became a sustaining member of the Numismatic Association of Southern California in 1979. He is also a life member of the American Numismatic Association.
Dennis is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a Fellow of the National Writing Project.
MORE FROM DENNIS
How to Turn a Penny into a Teachable Moment
– Dennis Conrad
Connect with your child or grandchild by starting a coin collection.
Start with the penny, also known as the Lincoln Head Cent. The coins were first minted in 1909 because it was the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
Use the coin to help your child make the connections with who Lincoln was, what he did, and when he lived. Reasons why Abraham Lincoln is featured on a coin include the following:
- Lincoln is often at the top of the list of America’s greatest presidents.
- He helped to preserve the Union during the American Civil War.
- His Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves.
- The Gettysburg Address ranks as one of the best speeches of all time.
Now, Look On the Back (the Reverse)
Go through change to find the different images on the backs of pennies.
There are wheat ears (1909-1958) and the Lincoln Memorial (1959-2008).
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, the U.S. Mint issued coins with four different images on the back. The Lincoln Bicentennial (2009) coins include a log cabin, Lincoln sitting on a log, Lincoln standing in front of the state capitol of Illinois, and an unfinished U.S. Capitol Building (the way it was when he was president.) For the past several years, there has is a shield on the back representing the preserved union (2010-Present).
Add one of each reverse to the child’s collection.
Don’t forget to mention the words, the date, and the mintmark.
The words include “One Cent,” “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” “The United States of America,” and “E Pluribus Unum” which means “Out of many, one.”
Also, look for and find the year minted and the mintmark.
Find and add a coin from the child’s birth year to the child’s collection.
Look at the mintmark. It is a letter on the front of the coin under the date. The “D” is for Denver, the “S” is for San Francisco, and the absence of a mintmark means the coin was minted in Philadelphia.
Add coins with different mintmarks to the child’s collection.
Keep the collection safe in a small box or a Ziploc bag. Have fun. Add to the collection as time goes by.
Free Resources
Want to encourage the child in your life to learn more about coins? Sign up at https://dennisconradauthor.com so your child can become a Junior Coin Collector. Receive free, monthly activity sheets like a crossword puzzle. There is a Coin Hunt section where children can search for and find coins in change for their collection, and a Vocabulary Builder section with coin-collecting terms.
BLOG STOPS
Lots of Helpers, May 8
Artistic Nobody, May 9 (Author Interview)
BookZone Reviews , May 9
Vicky Sluiter, May 10
Texas Book-aholic, May 11
Beauty in the Binding, May 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 13
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 14
Hannahbandanarama, May 15
Guild Master, May 16 (Author Interview)
Lights in a Dark World, May 16
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 17
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 18
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 19 (Author Interview)
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 20
Labor Not in Vain, May 21
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate his tour, Dennis is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a signed hardback copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2b7c8/marcus-and-the-emperor-s-coin-celebration-tour-giveaway
I received a complimentary copy of the book. My review is written voluntarily. There may be affiliate links in this post. This means that if you make a purchase using that link, I may get a small percentage to utilize for the upkeep of this site. This in no way increases the price that you pay.
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This looks like a delightful read. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sidlaw425,
Thanks so much for stopping by. It was a delightful read.
This looks like a lovely story.
Hi lisasvance,
Thanks for the visit. It truly is a lovely story.
What inspired you to start writing?
Hi Traciemich,
Great to see you again. Is that question for me or the author?
It looks like a wonderful book. 🙂 Thanks for sharing about this author!
Hi Kristen, thanks for stopping by. It is a wonderful book. My pleasure to share
Thanks for your kind remarks.
All the best to you.
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for embarking on such a great series. I look forward to reading more of your work.
I like this book, too.
Hi Emma,
Good to see you. There is a lot about it to like.
This looks like a wonderful book for kids.
Enjoyed your review! I read Dennis’s first children’s book, and enjoyed it. This one looks wonderful as well. I like the “coin” theme that he uses.
Hi SJ,
Yes, I thought that the coin theme was pretty cool as well. Thanks for stopping by.