I’m still working on my post to sum up the end of our Bathurst mission trip, but I wanted to jump in with a review for a kids’ Bible I received before the trip. The short version is: I love it! The Bible is published by Zondervan, and it’s called the Adventure Bible for Early Readers.
The Bible itself is pretty hefty, but the binding is sturdy, and kids will love the 3D cover! (I love the 3D cover.) I think Zondervan has done a great job of presenting God’s word in an engaging and accessible format for kids – they recommend this Bible for ages 6-10, which I think is spot on, although depending on the child’s reading ability, it probably is too challenging for a 6 year old to sit down and read by themselves, although with that said I think kids could continue to use this Bible past the age of 10. The language is simple and direct, with short sentences and understandable terms used directly in the text (as opposed to in a footnote or at the back of the Bible in a table of ancient weights and measures). I was a bit worried that a kids’ Bible might be too dumbed-down to be very useful, but I found that the translation was not dumbed-down at all, just simplified to make it easier to read.
A very strong selling-point for me are the features that help kids engage with the text and bring the message of Scripture to life (from the publisher):
- Life in Bible Times – Articles and illustrations describe what life was like in ancient days
- People in Bible Times – Articles offer close-up looks at amazing people of the Bible
- Let’s Live It! – Hands-on activities help you apply biblical truths to your life
- Did You Know? – Interesting facts help you understand God’s Word
- Words to Treasure – Great verses to memorize
- Twenty special pages – Games and other Bible fun, all with a jungle safari theme
- Book introductions, a dictionary, and color maps
There is at least one (and often multiple) colourful feature every two or three pages throughout the entire Bible. In the introduction, the editors note that the features “can be used as a teaching or devotional tool by parents or teachers, or they may also be used to encourage children to explore the Bible on their own and to have their own quiet times with God.” I think this Bible would make a great gift to any child for just that reason: it is packed with tools to help kids connect with God’s word. Another aspect I think is great is how many times the features direct kids to connect with adults in their life through God’s word as well, encouraging kids to share what they are learning or thinking about with their parents.
Though it is definitely geared to kids, this Bible would also be a great resource for people who are learning English as a second language, or even for adults who struggle to connect with what they read in the Bible. I highly recommend it.
(also – www.adventurebible.com has several fun Bible-based activities and games. I almost didn’t finish this post because I got sucked in to playing Leopardy. And the trivia is nothing to sneeze at!)
At the time of this post, this Bible is available on amazon.ca* for $21.31 – that’s a great price (reg. $33.99) so if you’re in the market for a kids’ Bible definitely check it out.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through BookLookBloggers.com® in exchange for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not compensated in any other way.