I was not aware this was going to be Christian Fiction. When I realized what it was I bailed.

I was excited when I found a copy of The Hidden Village, because I had recently missed a chance to review it. I read this book to my boys and they loved it, even though it took us a long time to get through it because we didn't have very many chances to read this for some reason.
Manju lived in a small village at the edge of the jungle in West Bengal, India. He loved to climb trees, and one day, after reading the story of Zacchaeus in his Bible, he decided to pretend he was climbing the tallest mangrove so he could see Jesus. He got to the top of the tree and saw—not Jesus, but smoke out in the jungle! Was something on fire?
When Manju went into the jungle to investigate, he found a small village he had never heard of, with people in it whom he had never seen before. These people were extremely poor, with cold, leaky huts, not enough clothing, and scarcely any food. How could he help them—especially since no one in his own village believed him?
My boys are wishing we would have a print copy of this book (we read a digital edition). They thought it was very good!I appreciated the way Manju wanted to help the neighbors he had never known existed, and the realistic way God provided what those special people needed. We also enjoyed the scene with the rhinoceros; that added suspense to the story.

Manju, a young boy, living in a small village in India, had just learned about Zacchaeus, and how he had climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus better. So Manju decides to climb up a banyan tree and see how far he could see into the forest. He climbed up about 30 feet and he thought he saw a thin curl of smoke rise into the air, and he thought it was a forest fire that could burn down the forest so he followed a bird to the site and he found an impoverished village with four starving people living in stick homes with hardly any food.
Manju makes friends with two small girls and he tells them he will bring back help, but no one in his village believes that there is a Hidden Village in the forest and his father makes him work and he forbids him from visiting what he considers to be an imaginary place.
You will have to read the story for yourself to see what happens to the people in the Hidden Village.

This book is written in a great way for a school reader yet at the same time is full of great descriptions. We laughed, cried, and our hearts were tugged. I loved how the author used the learning of Zacchaeus in the Bible and climbing a tree to then discover a people he didn’t know existed before. This author has a way with words and beautifully shares the Gospel and the importance of sharing it with others. This book shows how God can use us if we are yielding to Him and that others sometimes don’t take us seriously or believe us or understand at all and that needs to be okay. Makes you want to look around beyond yourself and see other places and people who need to hear of the HOPE of Jesus. To pray and seek the Lord’s leading for you personally to impact the world for the Kingdom and His glory. A great read!!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I enjoyed The Hidden Village by Bonnie Rose Hudson. I was able to read this short chapter book in a short time but could see how it would take an elementary child longer. It is very evangelistic in its aim, showing children what one child can do when he is persistent. This is a lesson for all Christians whether they are young or old. However, in this case, I felt as if a little child was leading the way so I should pay attention and learn, instead of being like his parents.

The story jumps right into the plot of Manju finding a hidden village as he is tree climbing. This hooks the reader early into the story. The story continued to be interesting as it moved along with Manju’s encounters, then problems he needed to solve as well as life in a jungle region. While I was not able to read this with a child, I thought of several places where discussion about Manju’s problems, along with his actions would fit so well.

One last thought, is the illustrations were wonderfully dispersed throughout the chapters. Elementary children making the transition from picture books to chapters still need this. I was pleased to see these. Overall, an impressive book for children, parents and religious teachers.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

The basic plot was interesting, and at points, it was well executed. Unfortunately, most of it was very poorly written. Several of the lessons, Biblical as they are, were just jammed in with no reference to the flow of the story and left it very stilted. The author wants us to think about those around us who have not heard the Gospel yet. It’s an admirable goal, but occasionally the lesson is so forced it becomes almost a sermon and not a story.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and BJU Press/JourneyForth.

Hudson was able to transport me into the mangrove jungle with her descriptive prose however the general plot and characters were not as engaging as I had hoped.

Manju has recently learned about Jesus Christ and loves reading his new bible he received from Pastor Danduk. When he finds a small hidden village in the mangrove forest while acting out the story of Zacchaeus, he heads off to find it. He meets some children and an old woman who are having problems. They have nothing to eat, nothing to keep warm and no one in the village can read. Manju sneaks them food and a blanket and begins teaching them to read. He tries to tell his parents about his new friends but they do not believe him. When he tells Pastor Danduk about the village, he goes to try and find it. When Manju can not visit, the old woman comes to find him. They want to share their good fortune with him. Pastor Danduk has brought them seed potatoes, food, blankets and other things they need. All the prayers about the village are being answered. There is a section at the end of the book about how to help places like this village with some suggestions and further information. A great book for a Religious studies course, a church school or a youth group. This could be the beginning of a Mission Project.