Twin Sisters Renee Copeland and Roxanne Jacobs Tell Bible Stories From Animals’ Perspective

Children’s books retelling Bible stories are a dime a dozen, but some authors like to give them a unique spin while still staying faithful to their Christian message. For Roxanne Jacobs, co-author of “Ask the Animals”, it all began when a Bible study about the prophet Jonah asked how his story looked to the different people he encountered. Imagining their reactions to Jonah was easy enough. But the funny thoughts started coming in when someone chimed in about how the whale must’ve felt with a man stuck in its belly for three days. Soon Roxanne wrote, “I Swallowed Jonah.”

Not long after, twin sister Renee made a comment on Job 12: 7-9, about the wisdom of God. The verse’s very first answer was to “ask the animals,” and they realized that there was a whole treasure trove of ideas for a playful spin on Bible stories.

That verse soon became the collection’s title. “Ask the Animals” takes over 20 stories from the Bible and retells them from the perspective of its memorable animal cast. These include not only the whale who swallowed Jonah but also the donkey of Joseph, a cow who was on Noah’s ark, the snake who wanted to be saved, and even the sober tale of the rooster who crowed after the Denial of Peter.

Each story in “Ask the Animals” by Renee Copeland and Roxanne Jacobs is told with a great deal of entertaining wit while also using the voice of the animals as a sort of commentary on Man’s special place in God’s creation. The collection is now on its way to being exhibited at a number of major book fairs around the world. Get a copy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

“Ask the Animals”
Author | Renee Copeland and Roxanne Jacobs
Published date | January 9, 2023
Publisher | Outskirts Press
Genre | Christian

Authors’ Bio
Renee and Roxanne are twins, born and raised in southern California. After junior college, their lives went in different directions.

RENEE Copeland worked as a bookkeeper/secretary, in her spare time reading, sewing, casual writing, painting, bird watching, and some church work. As a USO hostess, she met her first husband. They moved to Ketchikan, Alaska, and then to Staten Island, NY, where she and a co-worker began tracing their family trees. Back in Alaska, she lived in Seward and worked in Moose Pass as a jeweler. She was active in church and enjoyed picking berries & making jelly. Back to California and single again, she added square dancing, community theater stage manager, and Al-anon meetings.

After relocating to Washington State she met Steve Copeland; now married 30 years, they are happily settled in Puyallup (western Washington). She continued writing, family tree research & joined Daughters of the American Revolution, and prayer ministry at church. Renee loves being a stepmom and honorary ‘grandma.’

ROXANNE Jacobs loves to travel. In her early twenties, she drove with a friend to the World’s Fair in Seattle, and traveled around the world with the University of the Seven Seas, balancing work, classes, and excursions to many ports of call. Over 40 years ago, while working at an Evangelism organization in New Jersey, she met and married Bill Jacobs, a Navy nurse.

Roxanne is an active church member wherever they are, including a Bible-study teacher, bell choir, treasurer, etc. Her hobbies include reading, quilting, puzzles, genealogy research, and especially writing. Roxanne and Bill have both been to all 50 U.S.A. states, plus many foreign countries. They loved living in Bavarian Germany for almost a decade, before retiring to Puyallup. Their two delightful sons, (both Eagle Scouts) live in Idaho.

At last, the twins live about five minutes apart and often spend time together.

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