Who Is Our King?: An Interview with Todd Hains

Todd Hains is an editor with Lexham Press and author of Who Is Our King? In this new board book in the FatCat series, simple words and fun illustrations invite toddlers to meet King Jesus. Follow Jesus from his birth to his resurrection and praise this baby who made us and saved us. And search for FatCat and his friends on every page!

In our interview below, Hains reflects on the inspiration behind the book.

---

Lexham Press: Hi, Todd. Tell us the story behind Who Is Our King?
Todd Hains: This book came about because one day I was daydreaming about animals in the streets of Nazareth, watching Jesus trot somewhere or do something. Perhaps one dog turned to another and said, “Look! There’s the maker of heaven and earth! Let’s go see if he’ll give us a good scratch on the ear!”

And so Natasha (Kennedy, the illustrator) and I dreamed up a book that shows snapshots of Jesus’ life—his birth, his youth, his ministry, his death, and his resurrection—with him surrounded by animals.

The text of the book also confesses the truth of who Jesus is: this very man is the God who made all things and who set us free from sin, death, and the devil. And so whenever we encounter Jesus—whether in his infancy or his youth, in his death or his resurrection—we encounter all of him in all of his might and mercy and grandeur. Here is the man who is God, and here is the God who died for you and me to make us sinners righteous!

And so we too sing praises to him with the words of Psalm 148:
O praise the LORD from the heavens:
praise him in his heights.
Let them praise the Name of the LORD:
for he spoke the word, and they were made;
he commanded, and they were created.
Praise the LORD from the earth …
beast and all cattle;
creeping things and flying fowls …
Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the Name of the LORD:
for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.

LP: What contribution do you hope to make with your book?
Hains: I hope that families will read the book together and enjoy finding all the fun animals and details Tasha hid in the art! And, most importantly, I hope that readers will join in the confession that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, is our God and King.

LP: Please tell us of a particularly surprising or enjoyable aspect of writing your book?
Hains: For me the joy of making this book was seeing Tasha’s art create a world for these words, especially how she hid King Jesus’ friends (FatCat, Wormy, Cannonball, Donuts, Fredrico, and FauxCat) as well as created a surprising subplot about a pelican and a fish.

LP: Finally, can you share a surprising fact about yourself that only your friends would know?
Hains: Well, I’ve already shared in one of these interviews that Martin Luther and I share a birthday. So instead I thought I would say that I once received a letter from the pope (Benedict XVI)!