Affiliate Disclosure: I am grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. In addition, many of the books reviewed on this site were received free from the publisher through various book review bloggers programs. I am never required to write a positive review. On ocassion I will review a book that was not provided by the publisher. If that is the case I will note it on that particular post. Otherwise, assume that it was. All opinions I have expressed are always my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday, September 12, 2011

Kid's Bible Handbook review

Kids' Bible Handbook: Who, What, When, Where, Why-and What It All Means to You (Kids' Guide to the Bible)Help your kids understand scripture’s big picture with Kids’ Bible Handbook. This fully-illustrated guide for 8-to-12-year-olds provides age-appropriate, faith-building details on the greatest Book of all! Featuring a Genesis through Revelation tour, Kids’ Bible Handbook breaks the 66 books down into memorable segments: “In the Beginning” (Genesis through Deuteronomy), “His Story and Their Story” (Joshua through Esther), “Wise Words to Live By” (Job through Song of Solomon), and so on. “How Did We Get This Book, Anyway?” describes the Bible’s history, while kid-friendly sidebars feature important verses, places, and applications. Intriguing trivia adds to the fun, and it’s all wrapped up in a bright, colorful package that kids will love.
My Review:

Think of this as a children's Cliff Notes version of the Bible.  With simple descriptions of main events and ideas in the Bible, illustrations, Did you Know sections, fun facts etc this is a great way to get your child interested in what the Good Book is all about.  While this is by no means a Bible substitute (which the author or publisher NEVER suggested), it is a wonderful companion.  It includes scripture references and even tells the reader where in the Bible they can find each story that is mentioned.  It also does a good job of connecting OT and NT stories.  (While Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac in the OT, Hebrews in the NT suggests what his thoughts were at the time and this book directs you there!)

I like that this includes "what you'll find in..." headings which give an overview of the story or events in a particular book.  This would be great to use as part of family Bible study, reading it either before studying the chapter(s) to get children excited about what is going to happen, or after as a review tool.  I also like that the important characters are listed as well as who the author of the book is. 

The language is simple enough that a young reader can easily read on their own (2nd or 3rd grader) and yet the writing is interesting enough that preteens won't get bored or think it is a "baby" book.  The pictures and illustrations included spice up the text and help the reader to visualize the topic. 

A good companion book for young Bible readers.   If you are interested in puchasing Kids' Bible Handbook: Who, What, When, Where, Why-and What It All Means to You (Kids' Guide to the Bible) you can click here.

No comments: