Tamim: The Passover Lamb
An Easter Story for Children
Miriam is delighted when she is given a lamb to raise for Passover. She names the lamb Tamim.
As she falls in love with Tamim, how long can her parents delay telling her she is raising him to be sacrificed?
How will Miriam react when they tell her?
Excerpt from the book:
For weeks Miriam had looked forward to this day. Her father had promised her that he would take her to a nearby farm to pick out a Passover Lamb. It would be her responsibility to care for him.
“Look mother, isn’t he perfect? He is so perfect that I named him Tamim (Hebrew for perfect). He is going to be my lamb forever.”
Miriam is delighted when she is given a lamb to raise for Passover.
As she falls in love with Tamim, how long can her parents delay telling her she is raising him to be sacrificed?
How will Miriam react when they tell her?

Amazon Reviews
Thinking that she is just raising a Passover Lamb, Miriam learns the meaning of Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins on Good Friday. Tamim: The Passover Lamb also shows what daily life was like for a Hebrew girl in New Testament times.
Jesus’s love for His children is made clear in this delightfully illustrated book. I highly recommend it as part of a child’s library and for Sunday School.
I have known Leland for quite some time and I’ve always been impressed by his depth of thought. It is clearly illustrated through his writing while putting deep thinking concepts into a children’s ability to understand is excellent. I love the way that this work brings about a gospel centered approach while bringing empathy from a child’s perspective. Highly recommend it!
My kids loved the stories right before bed time
This is a wonderful story for children that brings the Passover story to their level in a hands-on fashion without being patronizing or condescending to the intended readers. The story immerses the readers in the little girl’s feelings and experiences much as they might feel and experience the same connection to a much loved pet. What happens to the little girl when she goes to the Temple in Jerusalem is truly life-changing and transforming, as well as a description of the New Covenant expressed throughout the New Testament.
Although set in Biblical times in Israel, Tamim: The Passover Lamb is universal in appeal. Jacob and Rachel give their daughter Miriam the responsibility of choosing the perfect Passover lamb and of caring for the lamb. The illustrations reveal the love of the child for her pet and the parents for their daughter. The story, too, is filled with hope and anticipation of the coming of the Messiah – but until such time, Passover lambs must be sacrificed for man’s sin. And that creates the conflict: what will happen when Miriam learns the fate of her lamb? Parents, you will be as engaged by Leland Gamson’s story and Alyssa Tanner’s illustrations as your child.
Children will relate to Miriam’s joy when she receives her Passover Lamb to raise! They will delight in the happy ending when she finds out who her ultimate Passover Lamb is! This book is perfect for both Sunday School & family reading. It creates a deeper understanding at a child’s level of the meaning of Good Friday.
I have just read the book by Leeland Gamson, Tamim: The Passover Lamb. If the reader is familiar with Christian doctrine, he or she will be concerned for Miriam, the young girl in this story, because she is excited about what she thinks is a “pet” lamb. Actually, she doesn’t realize yet that her parents have only given her the lamb so Miriam could care for it while awaiting the time when it will be sacrificed as a sin offering and an atonement.
When she finds out the whole truth, which her parents did not have the heart to tell her until they had traveled to the temple for the ceremony, she is really upset and want to run away. But, a stranger tells her not to worry, because He, Jesus Christ will be offering His own life as an atonement, so that no more sacrificing of lambs will be needed. The story ends happily and the beauty of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice is simply told.
What I truly enjoyed about this book was the very simple and clear way that it explained the subject matter. That Jesus did come to die for us. For our sins. We are forgiven because he became the Passover Lamb.
Anyone who has had a small animal knows how much they become a part of the family. Miriam’s response about not wanting to “kill her lamb” strikes a chord deep in your heart. Little ones can relate to that as well. The pictures are bright and colorful and tell the story well.
At our church we based our Good Friday play off of this book, it was fantastically received and a real joy to work with. The message of this book fits within a Christian theological frame work that seeks to share a different way of viewing the work of Christ. I highly recommended all of Leland’s works!
Other Books You May Enjoy
Lokael: The Donkey Who Carried Jesus
The honor of being able to carry Jesus as he traveled to Jerusalem was this little donkey’s big wish.
‘Twas The Night Before Christ’s Birth
The story many have heard. But this version is based on Clement Clarke More’s 200-year-old-classic
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