A well written toddler Bible can be an invaluable pedagogical tool (although that shouldn’t mean that one shouldn’t read the “real” Bible with one’s kids). Done well they put the cookies on the bottom shelf, stirring a love for the Word of God in a child’s heart. The stories can help children think and process biblical stories and truths from an early age. One area that is sorely lacking in many toddler Bibles is the clear thread of redemptive history. The best toddler Bibles will accomplish this.Writing a toddler’s Bible is a monumental task and I hope my reviews are read in that light. I don’t intend to attack those authors who (I believe) haven’t done well. After all, the author is tasked with:
a) paraphrasing the Bible (a hard enough job!)
b) paraphrasing it in a way toddlers will not only grasp, but find intriguing
c) picking and choosing which stories to tell
d) and in all of this somehow not completely corrupting or distorting the meaning of the Holy Scriptures!
Surely it is an impossible task I wouldn’t dare take up myself. That said, it is a task many have failed, and some have failed miserably.
The Good:
My kids love the flip-up tabs on each story that has a paraphrase of a Bible verse on it. The questions at times are helpful in engaging your children in the story.
The Bad:
Where do I begin? This is probably the worst Bible we’ve owned. The stories are poorly told and usually miss the point. The selection of the stories is also weak. Perhaps my biggest issue with the Bible is the fact that there is no story of Jesus’ crucifixion (The book tells the story of the Last Supper and then the story of the resurrection. “Was Jesus resurrected from his meal?!” a friend of mine asked after reading it.).
The Grade:
F: Ahhh, the irony of the name. But there’s no two ways about it, this Bible misses the mark. From the puddle-deep theology to the misleading questions to the ludicrously insipid pictures (I’m looking now at the Garden of Eden where a googly-eyed squirrel sits perched on a tree watching a googly-eyed elephant chase a googly-eyed mouse) this Bible is one big belly flop in the pool of children’s Bibles.
The story has a wonderful interactive pedagogical component to it where each story encourages your baby to interact with the story (e.g. for the creation story, the baby is told to: “Look outside. Point to the things God made.”). Additionally, there are a handful of scripture verses sprinkled through the book that are great for memorization.
The Bad:
Each story is told over only 1 or 2 pages and is told in only 2-3 sentences. This style makes it a difficult read. Do you read through the whole book in one setting with your baby, the stories following one after another with seemingly no connection? Do you just read the one or two pages with a few sentences and stop?
The Grade:
D: Not really a toddler Bible, but a Bible I’ve seen often enough on bookshelves I thought worth the inclusion here. The publishers would have been better suited to put one or two stories in each book, giving each book an actual narrative and thus engaging your baby through the whole book. The artwork is below average: the typical tacky, characterless baby fare.
The Good:
Mack Thomas, the author, clearly has a knack for engaging his audience. He has a playful way to narrate stories that works well for babies and toddlers. Each character engages your child. At the beginning the style is a bit odd, but it grows on you as you read it. In a playful way, this brings your baby right into the story.
The Bad:
Admittedly the story of Christ’s death and resurrection is difficult material for any children’s Bible author. But it must also be admitted that this Bible fails that critical test. The story is probably the worst in the whole Bible. Jesus, we are told, has been “hurt” by “some bad people” and now hidden in a cave. Confusingly, Jesus then appears and tells Mary a message that would befuddle anyone under the age of 12: “Mary, go tell my disciples that I will soon go up to Heaven.” It all adds up to sheer confusion.
The Grade:
C-: One of the fundamental flaws of this Bible is that it tells most stories in typical “good guys” vs. “bad guys” fashion where your child is encouraged to identify with the “good guys.” While this ubiquitous pitfall is clearly difficult to avoid in writing for children, one wishes it could be handled better here. I also understand that illustrating such a long book (440+ pages) makes the task difficult, but the illustrations are really unacceptable.
Karyn Henley has chosen an excellent selection of stories that make up this Bible. She includes such often omitted stories as Balaam’s ass, King Saul, Elijah, Pentacost, and Paul’s conversion story. The story of the crucifixion and resurrection is a good enough retelling. It is direct, clear, and does not shroud the fact that Jesus did, in fact, die.
The Bad:
The writing tends to be rather choppy and the stories are uneven: some are written pretty well, others poorly. There is not much by way of redemptive narrative, theological interpretation, or application.
The Grade:
B-: This classic has been around the block and has aged pretty well. Like many other Bibles, the illustrations are, on the whole, rubbish. Unlike
The First Step Bible there are actually a handful of decent illustrations among its 500+ pages, but on the whole it’s an unenthusiastic artistic attempt.
These first four represent those of some worth. Those receiving the highest commendation are yet to come in tomorrow’s post.
The Good:
V. Gilbert Beers’ retelling of the story of Christ’s death and resurrection is exemplary, explaining exactly what happened and the theological significance of the event. He also does an excellent job of making the stories connect to the larger redemptive story.
The Bad:
All authors have rhythms, and Beers’ rhythm of retelling stories involves asking some simple questions usually at the beginning or end of each story. Sometimes this distracts from the story itself, and many times it obfuscates the point of the story. Beers writing style is also a bit halting for my taste.
The Grade:
B+: I really recommend this Bible. Like The Beginners Bible it does a good job of telling a good sampling of Bible stories including such rarely told stories as: God giving the Israelites meat to eat, David and Mephibosheth (!), King Joash, Dorcas, Agrippa and Paul, and Philip and the Ethiopian. The book is aimed at ages 3-5, but I think you’ll find it is really better suited for ages a bit younger (2-4). The illustrations are fairly well done (despite the poor illustration chosen for the cover). Teresa Walsh has a nice touch and manages to actually make most of the characters look like they come from their proper country of origin (what a concept!).
Daryl Lucas gets it. He just knows how to write for his audience. He has a smooth style, an ability to separate what is necessary to the story and ancillary, and a good grasp of the whole story that overarches all of the particular stories. The selection of stories is as good as either The Preschoolers Bible or the Beginners Bible. His telling of the crucifixion is four pages long (most other Bibles are two), and he tells the story poignantly. Lucas uses dialogue well and it keeps his narration moving forward. He also includes questions that actually will make your toddler think and retell you the story. The Bible also has a very helpful topical index at the back.
The Bad:
Not much. There are times where I wish Lucas would allow his theology to come out a bit more, but he wants the story to do the talking and I appreciate that.
The Grade:
A-: An outstanding Bible that should be on the bookshelves of parents everywhere. It’s only weakness are its illustrations which are an uneven match to the brilliant narrative. The apparently hastily sketched cartoon illustrations, in contrast, are very pedestrian, and at times even distracting.
The Good:
Sally Lloyd-Jones pulls no punches. She sees the Bible through a strong redemptive-historical context and she proclaims it through every story. She is a good story teller and has a nice way of bringing the drama out of each story. She also makes her characters come to life, frequently moving beyond the bounds of what scripture tells us as she re-imagines the characters.
The Bad:
The pattern that is used in the telling of the Old Testament stories can become a bit tiresome as Jesus inevitably becomes woven into every story at the end. Who is the true hero who will come? Jesus. Who would be the Prince who would one day come from God? Jesus. No doubt the truth conveyed is dead on, but at times this style wears a little thin.
The Grade:
A: This is a wonderful Bible. I would love to see more parents getting their hands on this gem. The sermonic style employed shouldn’t be the only way children hear the stories, but used in tandem with a more straightforward Bible, it is an invaluable helpmate. It is important for children to engage the Old Testament through New Testament eyes and to see Christ as the center and end of history. But what separates this Bible from the pack are its breathtaking illustrations. Jago’s whimsical and vibrant illustrations actually surpass the fine writing of Lloyd-Jones, often providing unique interpretations through the drawings themselves. Jago seems to turn every story sideways illustrating truth powerfully through his renderings.
This Bible claims to be for ages 3 and up, but skews a bit older than that in reality. It is, by far, the most complete of the Bibles reviewed, both in the telling of the stories and the number of stories included. Anne de Graaf does a fine job at providing a readable, full paraphrase that doesn’t cut much out.
The Bad:
The length of the stories will be too much for younger kids. Sometimes three or four stories will be placed around one large picture which means that only one of the stories has a picture that accompanies it.
The Grade:
A: This is a great transition Bible for older toddlers. The stories are fuller than in any of the other Bibles on this list. Younger kids may have some trouble with the length of the stories, but it’s a great bridge to getting your kids into a “real” Bible. The illustrations are top notch and the large size of the pages enables the artist freedom to do some creative things with the illustrations.
