Printable or Projectable Ruth Storybook
created by the Rotation.org Writing Team
for use with several lessons in the Team's Ruth Lesson Set
found at https://www.rotation.org/forum/Writing-Team-Sunday-School-Lessons-Ruth-Naomi-Boaz
Please see the copyright and distribution restrictions at the end of this post.
Included in the Ruth Storybook PDF:
- 12 colorful illustrations created by artist John August Swanson*
- An abbreviated retelling of the Book of Ruth based on the NIV, with age-appropriate adjustments for time and clarity in a Sunday School setting
- Suggested discussion questions
- Comments and insights gleaned from the Bible Background which the teacher may or may not elect to share
We formatted the Storybook so it can be used in a number of ways:
- View on a large screen or monitor, including projecting it on the wall or screen. (Simply save the PDF to a flash drive and insert the flash drive into your device for viewing. Or see suggestions for how to show web content from your cellphone on a TV.)
- Print as an 8.5 x 11 document (12 pages, in color, landscape orientation). We recommend printing on a color copier for best reproduction and not an inkjet printer.
- As an optional story order game (put the images in order) or matching game (match the scripture to the image); print a copy of the PDF and cut the images from the text.
- As a scripture booklet that your students can take home with them.
View, save, and/or print the 12 Page Ruth Storybook PDF.
Why we created our own version of the Book of Ruth
One of our main lesson objectives is to have kids know the "whole" story and not just one or two famous verses or scenes. Recognizing the difficulty of reading the entire story from the Bible in a single class time (and wanting to have time for other activities), we searched high and low for a shorter version of the whole story that was faithful to the scripture and could be read within a Sunday School setting.
Not seeing any that met our criteria, the Writing Team decided to create its own using the John August Swanson "Story of Ruth" serigraph illustrations which we were given permission to use. Swanson's bright folk style is informed by his Mexican roots and interest in Orthodox iconography.
The scripture in the PDF is largely that of the NIV, with some storytelling modifications, word clarifications, and scene abbreviations in order to make the story readable by kids and more understandable without taking over the entire class time.
Several of our lesson writers use the Ruth Storybook interactively with their main activity. These include the Science, Cooking, and Drama/Photo workshops.
Tip: Short on time? Summarize and skip Storybook pages 4 & 11:
- Page 4: "When they finally arrived in Bethlehem..." --just mention they arrived and the townsfolk were surprised to see Naomi again.
- Page 11: "The very next day, Boaz gathered the elders..." --just mention that the other Guardian-Redeemer gave to Boaz his claim to Naomi's family land and right to marry Ruth.
Most of the other pages are short enough. Some pages have ideas or scenes that are crucial to understanding the story or lesson.
Special thanks to the following Rotation.org Ruth Team members for help transforming the NIV text into our own shorter and kid-friendly version:
- Meghan Adrian
- Dena Kitchens
- Neil MacQueen
- Amy Crane
*Copyrights and Permissions To Use
John August Swanson Studio has given Rotation.org and its Supporting Members and their congregations special permission to use their high-resolution image of the original serigraph for the purposes of non-profit teaching. You may print or project the images found in the PDF for non-profit teaching purposes, including printing a take-home storybook or teaching handout for your kids. You may not otherwise distribute them beyond your congregation or post the file(s) to any website. Please respect the rights of the artist.
The Ruth Storybook is otherwise the copyrighted property of Rotation.org and may only be used by its Supporting Members and their congregations. It may not otherwise be posted, transmitted, or shared.
The text of the Ruth Storybook is based in part on the NIV, copyright Zondervan. Our version constitutes a "fair use" transformative work because we have made their text and the concepts in it more kid-friendly, in addition to condensing the storyline so that it can be used in one class.
