cover
At a sunny seaside dock, Jonah steps nervously onto a wooden ship’s gangplank while busy sailors coil ropes on deck behind him; white sails billow above, and sparkling blue water reflects the bright afternoon light.
God asked Jonah to go to the big city of Nineveh. But Jonah did not want to go. He ran away instead! Jonah found a ship sailing far across the sea. He got on the ship and sailed away. Jonah thought he could hide from God. He went down into the ship and fell fast asleep. The sailors did not know Jonah was running away from God.
On the rain-lashed deck at night, lightning illuminates Jonah speaking urgently to the captain as terrified sailors hurl cargo boxes over the railing; towering waves slam the wooden hull under a bruised, storm-black sky.
While Jonah slept, a huge storm came! The wind blew hard and the waves crashed over the ship. The sailors were very scared. They threw cargo into the sea to save the ship. The captain woke Jonah up. Jonah told them the truth. He said the storm was because of him. Jonah asked the sailors to throw him into the water. The storm would stop then.
In the churning midnight sea, a gigantic fish bursts from a foaming wave and swallows Jonah feet-first; nearby, lightning flashes over the silent, halted ship while terrified sailors stare wide-eyed from the deck.
The sailors threw Jonah into the stormy sea. Right away, the storm stopped! God sent a very big fish to save Jonah. The fish swallowed Jonah whole! Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. It was dark and scary. Jonah prayed to God and said he was sorry. He promised to obey God. God heard Jonah's prayer and forgave him.
At dawn on a quiet beach, the huge fish lies half-submerged, mouth wide as it spits Jonah onto wet sand; soft pink light glows on rippling water and on Jonah’s relieved, sand-covered face.
God told the big fish to swim to the shore. The fish opened its mouth wide and spit Jonah out onto the beach. Jonah was safe! God gave Jonah a second chance. This time, Jonah listened and obeyed. He went straight to Nineveh to tell the people about God. The people listened to Jonah and changed their ways. God was happy that Jonah obeyed. Jonah learned that we cannot hide from God.