My Jesus Bible - A Review

My Jesus Bible

by

Text by Michael Berghof

Illustrated by Gill Guile

A Review

“My Jesus Bible” is a colorful, attractive children's Bible. The book consists of 20 stories pulled from Jesus’ life that would appeal to preschool children to 3rd or 4th graders. Given that information, this reviewer would recommend the book for children and their parents or Sunday School teachers.

I have two problems with the book. First, there seems to be some question as to what age group the book is actually designed for. Its physical design as a board book with a plastic handle would make it appear to be designed for the preschool child. The detail of the artwork would seem to appeal to the kindergartner or 1st grader. The size of the print and the writing itself would suggest that the book belongs in the hands of the older elementary school child. This final obstacle could be overcome by an older sibling or adult reading the material to a younger child or the availability of a recording to accompany the book (at this point this does not exist, as best I can tell). Though it can be said of any book, the purchaser will need to be aware of who will be using the book and how it will be used.

The second difficulty I see is a lack of Biblical references. These would be useful for both the older child and for the parents or Sunday School teachers working with child readers. It would allow the adult to familiarize himself or herself with the Biblical material from which 20 stories are drawn which becomes important because the stories are drawn from all four gospels - sometimes combining the events described by multiple authors. Having access to the underlying scriptures would prepare the adult reader to answer children’s questions and to familiarize themselves with Scripture’s content.

Do I recommend this book? YES. But only if the purchaser is aware of its limitations and willing to work with those limitations and child for whom the book is purchased.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Rick Warren's The Lord's Prayer - A Review

The Lord’s Prayer

by

Author: Rick Warren

Illustrator: Richard Jesse Watson

A Review

It was probably not the first prayer I ever learned, but it was one of the first that I memorized. Rick Warren has written a nice and simple commentary on this most famous of prayers uttered by Jesus. Each entry is composed of four parts:

1. A line (or phrase) from the Lord’s prayer
2. An illustration working off the theme found in the quoted phrase
3. A four (or so) line commentary responding to the quoted phrase
4. A simple prayer echoing the phrase and commentary

The illustrations are colorful and gripping. They will hold a child’s (and maybe the parent’s) attention.  The commentary is not particularly deep; but because the book is written for a the 4-8 year old child, I would not expect an in depth exploration of the Lord’s Prayer. However, I expect both the parent and the child would find the entire presentation to an encouraging addition to their spiritual walk - regardless of their physical or spiritual age.

This book belongs in the preschool section of the church library and in the homes of preschoolers and beginning readers. It would make a great Christmas or birthday gift - I would say a stocking stuffer, except the 12”x18” size means it will not fit into most stockings.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.

I'm Not Afraid - A Review

I’m Not Afraid

Written by

Lee Ann Mancini

Illustrated by

Dan Sharp

A Review

Lee Ann Mancini has put  together a fun, colorful book aimed at the preschooler or early reader. Fear is a common emotion – but an uncomfortable one for many people. The art and story will help the young child understand that fear is normal and that Jesus can help him or her deal with their fears.

The colorful 3-D fish will hold the reader’s attention – whether the book is being read to the child or the book is being read by the child. After reaching the end of the book, I was surprised to find I had missed the book’s hidden secret: each page includes a small hidden image to be found within the picture (ala Where’s Waldo). Finding out the secret, I was forced to again walk through the book to find the unexpected prize found on each page.

The book will serve as a swell gift from a parent to a child or a welcome addition to the home,  Church, or Sunday School library. Some public libraries will feel comfortable adding it to their collections as well.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.