This is an idea whose time has certainly come. Over the past few years a resurgence in Bible reading seems to have swept across the United States. You can hardly walk through a Walmart or an average bookstore without coming across all sorts of Bibles for all sorts of people. One big problem - it's difficult to find these user-friendly Bibles in Catholic editions.
New American Bible Translation (copyright 1970-1991)
Also contains seven full-color multipage inserts.
Father Lovasik includes many more stories in this work than Tomie de Paola's work. The pictures are more traditional (although not fine art), yet the stories are still short enough to make this a good choice for preschoolers as well. He explains parts of the Bible in light of our Catholic tradition within the story. For example, in the story "Jesus Appears to the Apostles" Fr. Lovasik explains what Jesus said to the apostles with the following quote:
I've come to understand why Laura Berquist recommends this bible for Kindergarten age children. It is quite faithful to the original stories and attempts nothing beyond telling the story. The colorful pictures are very intriguing to children and it provides a good means for familiarizing children with the Bible's basic stories. The full color pictures throughout are very nicely done and make it easier for young children to find particular stories on their own.
God's Will Be Done is the story of Jonah and the Whale and The Wall is the story of the Fall of Jericho. Both Bible stories are presented as audio dramas, performed with full casts, music and sound effects. The shorter length and simpler dialogue of these in particular make them especially appealing to younger children.
Set sail on a stormy sea with Jonah and His Amazing Voyage as your young children learn about Bible stories in this light-hearted set from the Bible Adventure Club series.
This beautifully illustrated (in full-color) gem is designed to prepare a child for First Communion and would be appropriate for Kindergarten through second grade. The text follows the Baltimore Catechism, but also includes basic prayers, parts of the Mass and Holy Days of Obligation. In a few places, the explanations given to expand upon the Baltimore Catechism are not as well-written as I'd like them to be, but for the most part they are quite good.
Companion to First Communion from Our Lady's Catechists.
In twelve lessons, this little book teaches everything that an elementary-school-aged child needs to know to prepare for a holy First Confession. The text is written in the second person, for the teacher to read to the student, and assumes no exceptional degree of teaching experience. Most of the lessons use short stories to illustrate the point being made. A homeschooling parent can simply pick up the book, sit down with their student, and spend their lesson time comfortably and profitably.
Imprimatur: John M. D'Arcy, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, 2003
