Rating: 3 stars
After experiencing the wrath of Hurricane Sandy first hand and witnessing the seemingly endless destruction she left in her wake, a little levity was definitely needed to help assuage the ongoing heartbreak.
When power was finally restored and email checked, I was greeted with the welcomed offering of Sam Stall’s Dancing with Jesus.
Responding to the publisher that I could certainly use a laugh and to send the book, I received a very succinct reply in response to my mailing address: “Oof, Staten Island”.
Though most of the media hadn’t thought to use “Oof”, it’s actually a very apt response to this storm-ravaged borough. What was basically intended as a simplistic communication of sympathy in regards to one of the worst storm disasters in history, unintentionally—and eloquently—hits the bulls eye with three simple letters… Oof indeed.
Anyway… with the arrival of UPS—another optimistic sign suggesting a hint of familiarity and normalcy—the book was delivered. Levity was surpassed by an actual smile and a quiet laugh in regard to the book’s unexpected cover: an animated, holographic image of Jesus doing a 1980s version of the White Man’s Overbite.
Despite my doubts that this little gem could provide any real-world application, I dove right in. I was surprised to find I was hooked from the very first page. I simply couldn’t put it down, and ended up finishing it in one sitting.
What may seem like a simple, unnecessary child’s board-book for adults on the surface is actually an action-packed, step-by-step guide that might actually change your life. Or it may not… but can you really afford to take that chance?
DWJ makes a great gift or Bible primer—and in these electricity-challenged times, it’s the perfect solution to keeping the party going when Wii’s Dance Revolution goes dark.
Overall, Dancing with Jesus is a book and, along with displaying his unceasing wit, Sam Stall firmly establishes that he has the necessary motor skills to write. By taking on a hard-hitting, polemic theme, Stall proves that one man’s blasphemy is another man’s sense of humor.
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Board book: 26 pages
Publisher: Running Press; Brdbk edition (October 9, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0762444144