Sunday, March 13, 2011

5 Gift Ideas for Kids for Easter

Bibles & Bible Storybooks for Children

ESV Seek and Find Bible. Crossway Publishing. 2010. 1888 pages.

Published in partnership with Concordia Publishing House, this new full-color children’s Bible combines the complete ESV Bible text with more than 120 new, vibrant illustrations of major Bible stories.  Accompanying each full-page illustration is the Bible story itself, clearly and accurately retold for young readers—and for the parents, grandparents, and teachers who read to them.  Each story includes a Key Bible Verse to memorize, Additional Readings for discovering more of the story throughout the Bible, and simple Reflection Questions to help children begin to understand and apply God’s Word.  Colorful icons make it easy for young readers to see where each story is found in the Bible text and to locate the illustration that goes with it. 

In addition, dozens of Bible characters are profiled throughout the pages, and color call-out sections provide illustrated facts about important Bible objects, structures, and places. Each Bible book begins with a child-friendly introduction, highlighting the important characters and themes found in it.
The ESV Seek and Find Bible is the ideal first “real” Bible for pre-readers and young readers, ages 5 to 9, to grow up with. It is also a wonderful resource for parents to use in family Bible reading and for teachers who teach the Bible to young children.
  • More than 130 full-page, full-color illustrations
  • Simple Bible story retellings for each illustration
  • Age-appropriate introductions to each Bible book
  • Key Verses to memorize
  • Illustrated profiles of more than 50 major Bible characters
  • Illustrated facts about Bible objects, structures, and places
  • Reflections Questions for children, parents and teachers


    God is Great: A Toddlers Bible Storybook by Carolyn Larsen. Illustrated by Caron Turk. 2011. Crossway Publishers. 44 pages.

    In God Is Great, Carolyn Larsen and illustrator Caron Turk provide a wonderful resource for children ages five and under by presenting seventeen Bible stories in an understandable and fun way. In simple language, Larsen describes what God has done in the story of our world, beginning with the creation account and moving through the Great Commission. As children learn about the ways in which God has shown his greatness in the past, they will also learn about his character and how he is still great today.
    “God Makes Everything,” “God Protects Daniel,” “Jesus Feeds the 5,000,” and “Jesus Dies, But Not Forever!” are only a few of the stories that will captivate young readers. Beautiful illustrations by veteran illustrator Caron Turk accompany each story. Parents, grandparents, and teachers will find God Is Great to be a valuable tool for teaching young children.


    The Big Picture Story Bible. David R. Helm. 2004/2010. Crossway Publishers. 456 pages.


    No child is too young to begin learning about the greatest love story of all—God’s love for his people, as portrayed in the Bible. David Helm and Gail Schoonmaker have together created a colorful book of Bible stories written especially for children ages 2–7. Rather than simply retelling portions of the Bible, this book presents the big picture—the unified story running through the Old and New Testaments. Twenty-six stories together form parts of this big picture.
    Simply written and beautifully illustrated, this book teaches children the Bible’s whole story so they can begin to appreciate the fulfillment of God’s promise to his people. The Big Picture Story Bible is perfect for parents to read to their children and for older children to read on their own.
    First published in 2004, The Big Picture Story Bible has been widely praised and used by parents. It now comes with an audio recording of the book, read by the author and presented on two CDs, one each for the Old and New Testaments. Great for Sunday school classes and trips in the car, children can listen to the text and follow along in the book.


    Mighty Acts of God: A Family Bible Story Book. Starr Meade. 2010. 288 pages.

    In Mighty Acts of God Starr Meade takes a new approach to teaching the Bible to elementary school aged children: she focuses not on characters in Scripture, but on God. Each of the ninety Bible stories included focus on a particular character trait or truth about God, emphasizing that God is the main character in every Bible story.
    Each story in Mighty Acts of God is retold in lively, modern-day language from a Reformed perspective, and is followed by an application section with several discussion-sparking questions and prayer points. By moving chronologically through both the Old and New Testaments, parents and children glimpse the person of God as one of consistency, vibrancy, passion, and love.

    The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Sally Lloyd-Jones. 2009. ZonderKidz. 352 pages.

    The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories of the Bible. It takes the whole Bible to tell the Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby, the Child upon whom everything would depend. From Noah to Moses to King David, every story whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle--the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together.
    Beautifully written and illustrated, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their story, too.      



    © Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

    No comments: