As a father of six kids, I’m constantly on the look out for another Bible story book. The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books (distributed in the US by Kregel) is a fine addition to my collection. This kids’ book has the look and feel of a leather bound, weather-worn classic. It is beautifully illustrated and has a gold sheen on each page. The stories are short but follow the Scripture account well. And the volume comes complete with a ribbon and a full color illustration on the front.
Some kids Bible story books are given to fancy and invention. Others seem to trivialize the text. This has the right blend of contextualizing the story for kids but staying true to the text. I appreciated that several of the less common stories made their way into this collection. It is divided into 365 stories, but I felt that much of the time the story would span two or even three of the daily readings. The Scripture references are included for each story which will invite the family to open up the real Bible and read the fuller account.
The size of the book and its heft–it weighs in at nearly two pounds–will allow this book to endure the frequent use its colorful pages will invite. It is bound to be a family favorite, and I would be glad to see it end up on the shelves of Christians everywhere.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Kregel Publications. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.
Once again William Boekestein has given us a fantastic book for children. The Glory of Grace: the Story of the Canons of Dort is his third book in a series from Reformation Heritage Books. Each book is illustrated by Evan Hughes and looks at the historical background to one of the confessional statements that make up the “all three titles. You won’t be disappointed.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Reformation Heritage Books. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.
I have often found encouragement in the account of the battle of Jericho. The Hebrew people were faced with an obstacle to their possession of God’s promised good land. A fortress city stood in their way. What were they to do? All they had to do was trust and obey God’s direction. It wasn’t by their effort that they would inherit the promised land, it was a matter of God’s grace.
Similarly, in our Christian life, we walk by faith and depend on God’s promise and His action on our behalf. We take Him at His word. We trust and obey. The promised land of sanctification and God’s blessing in our life, comes through His effort not ours. I made this case previously in a post called “Thoughts on the Battle of Jericho.”
Here is a visual depiction of this same important lesson. It comes from an adaptation of The Jesus Storybook Bible, one of our favorite kid’s Bible story books. Tim Keller referred to this book as “a storybook for preachers” and I quite agree. It communicates the heart of the Bible stories powerfully, and highlights the fact that all the stories in the Bible unfold the wonder of Jesus and His love. It has brought tears to my eyes at times, and if you don’t have this book, you really should get it!
Watch the animated story below of the battle of Jericho, and I pray that you and I both will grow in our trust of Jesus Christ, our true Warrior Leader.
I’ve often wondered why Christian parents are so content to give colorful, captivating books about Disney characters and nursery rhymes to their children, when similar books promoting Bible stories seem to be overlooked. One reason might be how hard it is to find decent Christian books for kids. So often the books one does find are so petty and trite, that it seems pointless to spend more money for them. Instead the cheaper, secular books find their way into our homes.
While it might take a little more effort, collecting Christian resources for our kids is worth it. I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to taking the easy way out on this. But more and more, there are an increasing number of good Christian books that we can get for our young ones.
Juliet David is a prolific childrens’ book writer and has produced a wide variety of books for little hands and hearts. I’ve reviewed her Candle Prayers for Toddlers book, previously. In My Pop-Up Bible Stories, she offers an engaging and well-produced book that is sure to interest one-three year olds, and their older siblings. Just about any pop-up book will fascinate kids of all ages, but they are so easy to break and tear. This book published by Kregel seems sturdy and durable enough to handle some abuse.
The stories that are included are simple. Baby Moses in his little ark, Daniel in the Lion’s den, Jarius’ daughter rising up when Jesus takes her hand, the shepherd looking for a lost sheep, and Jesus stopping the storm. There isn’t a lot of text included for the stories, but the Scripture references are shared. This approach allows parents to teach the story at the child’s level.
Daniel Haworth has provided engaging and colorful illustrations. My two year old and four year old girls are most interested in this book. While the message is not overtly Gospel-centered, it isn’t just a bunch of fluff either. The stories stick to Scripture but are told at a child’s level. This resource will be a helpful addition to our collection. I’m sure if you have little hands, something like this will come in handy. And there are some good deals on the book available at the links below.
Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon, or direct from Kregel.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Kregel Books. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.
Review: As the father of five daughters, I have had ample occasions to read Children’s Bible storybooks. The majority of such storybooks are quite simple and to the point. They don’t often interact with the story at a child’s level other than to make the tale more imaginative and seem more story-like. Few storybooks really serve believing parents well.
The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski (New Growth Press, 2011) is much different. It is uniquely designed to help facilitate the parents’ task of teaching their children the Gospel, as they recount the various stories in the Bible. The stories include discussion questions at the end, and are usually presented in a fairly straight-forward, stick-to-the-text manner. Sometimes, however, a little more explanation is woven into the story. And each story wraps up with an application to the Gospel or to the flow of redemptive history. The book’s emphasis is on communicating the Gospel intent of the Bible stories rather than on wowing the children and parents with how imaginative a reshaping of the Scriptural story this new storybook can provide.
My children appreciate the sheer number of Bible stories covered by this book (78 stories from each testament) – many of which are not addressed in other, smaller Bible storybooks. And the vivid colors and interesting illustrations also enthrall their young minds. The illustration style is unique and more artistic than you’d expect. The intent is not to depict a true-to-life version of the story so much as to provide an intriguing image that illustrates it. For my part, I think this style is perfectly suited to the book’s overall feel with its bright and colorful pages. Sometimes the smaller font, which is often colored white against a dark color background, can be hard to read however. But the size of the font helps keep the stories at two pages in length, allowing the book to stay fairly compact even as it covers a large number of stories. The glossy hardcover makes the book attractive yet also keeps it sturdy and durable.
The author’s aim in producing this book is stated in its sub-title: “Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments.” And the book dovetails well with a Sunday School curriculum covering both the Old and New Testaments that has also been developed by the author (and published by New Growth Press). This curricula along with the storybook, would also serve well in a homeschool setting, as children of a wide variety of ages will be blessed and instructed through this material.
I encourage Christian parents everywhere to pick up a copy of this book. Check out some sample pages and even explore the available SS material as well. We would be remiss not to add one more tool to our arsenal as we aim to teach our children the Bible. And of course just learning facts isn’t the key, we hope they learn and embrace the Gospel. And this is what makes The Gospel Story Bible so compelling. I highly recommend this book.
Author Info: Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-four years. He is the author of the Gospel Story for Kids series including Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the Gospel Story Curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
A.E. Macha, BFA (Illustration, Arcadia University) is married with two children and lives in Philadelphia. Anne teaches art at a local school and has developed her illustration style through exploring art and design in diverse cultures.
As a father of six kids, I’m constantly on the look out for another Bible story book. The Candle Classic Bible from Candle Books (distributed in the US by Kregel) is a fine addition to my collection. This kids’ book has the look and feel of a leather bound, weather-worn classic. It is beautifully illustrated and has a gold sheen on each page. The stories are short but follow the Scripture account well. And the volume comes complete with a ribbon and a full color illustration on the front.
