This fall, author Lynne Roers has achieved a dream many months in the making: publishing the second edition of her ABC book, The Amazing King of Zion.
The heart of the book remains the acrostic poem Roers originally published in 2023 for her second granddaughter, in which she uses each letter of the alphabet to answer the question, “Who is the Amazing King of Zion?” But now, each letter is also accompanied by a corresponding verse from the Bible.
“I’ve read that the children’s alphabet primer is considered one of the oldest literary genres in America,” said Roers. “At the start of this journey, I combined that ABC format with poetry, which I believe is a way for readers of all ages experience the good, the true, and the beautiful. For this version, I’ve added verses to honor my mom and the legacy she passed on to me, which is a love of Scripture and embracing the written word.”
This edition of The Amazing King of Zion is dedicated to Roers’ mother, Roberta Jean Gravett, who passed away in November 2023.
As in its first run, each phrase of Roers’ acrostic poem is captured in vibrant artwork by Iowa illustrator Tiffany Harris, who took her inspiration from the illuminated manuscripts of the medieval era.
“Tiffany brought my words to life in a beautiful explosion of art and poetry,” said Roers. “From the words to the art to the verses—it’s all come together layer by layer, which makes me think of the formation of a pearl. It’s small, but precious to me. And you know what they say: ‘Little is much when God is in it.’”
The second edition of The Amazing King of Zion was published through the Write Place and is available for purchase on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.
Lynne Roers is a writer and poet who lives in Bloomfield, Iowa, with her husband, Peter. The youngest of four children, Roers discovered a love of poetry in her twenties that she has carried with her for over three decades. Her motto is: “I don’t need a lot of words. I just need the right words.”
