Children's Bibles

This is a very cute and sturdy volume for children who are ready to begin enjoying the stories from the bible but not quite ready for the real thing yet. The paraphrasing is cross-referenced with the corresponding biblical passages and the language is warm and simple yet not overly toned down. Some important passages are kept in the traditional language, such as Psalm 23, the Beatitudes and the Our Father.

Here is an example of the language from the chapter Daniel in the Lions' Den:

Thomas Craughwell has a knack for informative yet captivating writing! This is a very nice first Bible for a beginning reader, and of course it could be read aloud as well.

Each page has an illustration and a Bible verse in bold, ranging from Genesis to Revelation. I wish the illustrations were a bit more professional, and that the text agreed with the way the "card" pages turn: it is a bit awkward to flip the clunky volume from front to verse on each page.

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.

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: