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The new children's BibleMary would have loved it!THE NEW CHILDREN'S BIBLE In this year when the Bible Society celebrates its 200th anniversary, I am certain that Mary Jones would have been thrilled with the wealth of Bible-based literature available for children. This collection of Bible stories is suitable, I suggest, for eight year olds plus and designed, as pages 286-287 explain, to introduce children to God's Word in a way that makes them want to read the complete Bible for themselves. It majors on several Bible characters and tells their stories in an interesting and sensitive way, yet not always in as much detail as some other story Bibles. Bible references are not given nor are we told upon which version of the Bible the stories are based. Noticeable omissions include the story of the Tower of Babel; a listing of the Ten Commandments; the story of Esther, and Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. On page 31, Ishmael is introduced simply as 'a boy' and not as the son of Abraham. The story of Jesus's last days on earth is beautifully told and the last two stories in the book are strategically placed to challenge and inspire! Typography alters after the opening paragraph of each new story, which is visually unhelpful. The artwork is of high standard and suitable for children of the age group I have suggested but I would be interested to know the significance of the black and white cat that appears on pages 74, 91 and 169! The books of the Bible are listed and categorised on pages 282-283 and the two following pages would be helpful to those teachers using this book. Mary Jones would have loved to read these stories but would have missed her favourite book of the Psalms! Janet Chapman, © Evangelicals Now - November 2004 |