The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible {A Book}

With Talitha growing more and more in her understanding of what we say and do, I have been looking for a good children's Story "Bible" read to her.  (I say "Bible" because these books are not literally what we would believe to be the inspired Word of God but rather illustrated books with the main stories of the Bible written for children.)   

While I have not come across bad illustrated children's Bibles, there are, admittedly, some that are better than others. Gospel-centric children's Bibles, such as the Jesus Story Book Bible, that strive to focus on the Gospel-themes as portrayed throughout Scripture, are popular these days and are some of the best options out there! 

However, I have had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to buy. 

 

And then I read a review for The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible, by Jared Kennedy, published by New Growth Press in 2017.

After about 5 minutes of "looking inside it" on Amazon, I knew this was what I wanted for a children's story Bible and clicked "order."

I now have it in my hands and it is everything I expected it to be and more!  I absolutely love this book. I think it is going to become my new favorite children's story Bible.  

Here's why I am super excited to have come across this fantastic resource:

1.  The illustrations are not quirky, unlike so many of today's children's Bibles where the illustrations look like they are from another era in the history of art. Instead, these pictures are bright and bold, with just enough details that a 3 or 4 year will be able to notice them, but not so many that the details get lost. The people in the pictures have nice big, round faces, somewhat like those Fisher Price figures we all played with as children.  Older children may even begin to pick up on the concepts that the illustrations often visualize--concepts such as an empty cup and a full cup of wine at Jesus' first miracle or the difference between the 10 bad spies and 2 good spies who went into Canaan.

2. The narratives are written to be understood by very young children, while remaining true to Scripture. Whereas some children's Bibles add dramatic details to make the story more exciting, The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible keeps such details to a minimum. And yes, that's a good thing!  

3. The story length is also a good balance between too long and too short, with an average of six pages per story--which gives plenty of variety of pictures for a child to look at. The text is visually spread across the pages, which makes for easy reading.

4. I love how there are also many chapters that are not commonly found in a Children's Bible. Stories such as the Passover Lamb, The Golden Calf, Hannah's Prayer, Jeremiah in a Pit, Phillip and the Eunuch, and even Peter and the Sheet filled with Unclean Animals are all included in this book and bring out important gospel threads in a way a toddler can understand! 

5. Perhaps one of the best features of this book is the gospel-themed question at the end of each chapter that parents can use to help make the story practical for their child. These questions address topics such as fear and friendships and have gospel-themed answers that help point the toddler to the Savior--whether that be his need of the Savior, a specific aspect of God's character, or other doctrinal topics such as prayer or evangelism.

Many of the questions specifically confront the child with his need for the Gospel with point-blank questions such as "Have you trusted in Jesus?" after the story of the bronze Serpent or ""Are you afraid of death?" after Lazarus is raised from the dead. However, with questions covering topics such as prayer or fear, for example, many of the questions are also a form of encouraging continued spiritual growth for the child who already knows Christ as his Savior.

I love how The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible does not shy away from important theological concepts that might be commonly viewed as too deep for a child.  

If you are looking for a quality children's Bible to help you point your child to the Savior and encourage him to grow in his walk with Jesus, The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible is a fantastic Gospel-centered book to have in your home!