Every once in a while I like to review books for little readers. These reviews are much shorter and basically act as a “Yes, I liked it” or “No, I didn’t like it”. I do this because there are so many books out there for kids and I don’t want to add to the confusion. The kinds of kid’s books that I like best are those that clearly teach the Bible, are pleasing to the eye and engage children on some big topics. Here are a few for you…
The Christian Focus Story Bible by Carine Mackenzie
In this story Bible Carine walks the reader through 75 stories of the Bible, taking from both he Old and the New Testaments. Each day has a teaching point, suggested reading, a brief explanation, a question to recap and a truth to learn at the end of each day. I’m not a huge fan of this resource for 2 reasons;
1. I think it is always better to read an actual Bible to kids instead of hand picked stories which don’t encourage you to open up a Bible with them.
2. I think that the illustrations are designed more for older kids (this is very subjective, but I have to say it).
I do like that the book has simple biblical truths at the end of each day that are easy to understand. I personally wouldn’t recommend this because I can think of other children’s Bible’s that get a child’s head into the Bible itself instead. Check it out here and let me know what you think.
When someone you know dies
Explaining death to children is not an easy thing at all. Trying to walk a child through the difficulties of unanswered pryers, trying to teach a child about eternal life and heaven isn’t always straight forward. But 10ofThose in partnership with DayOne have produced (or reprinted) this little booklet to help you out. It walks you through the story of a little girl who looses a friend and a conversation he has with a neighbour about it. This little booklet is honest about the fact that we won’t know all the answers to our questions, but that there is great hope in the gospel and eternal life in Jesus. This wold be a helpful tool, as a conversation starter, to explain death to a 6-11 year old.
Esther and the Very Brave Plan by Tim Thornborough
I really enjoy these Bible stories for kids by The Good Book Company because they retell the Bible story accurately, whilst also being sensitive. In this edition Tim take you to the book of Esther. You’ll read about a proud plan of a king, a wicked plan of people who wanted to get rid of the king, a horrible plan of a man who hated God’s people, and Esther’s brave plan. But behind the scenes, and Tim brings this out well, we can see God’s secret plan unfolding which is wonderful. God’s plan always come true. This will be a good book to teach your children to trust in the Lord and His great plans. Get your copy here (to be released on August 1st, but you can pre-order it).
God’s Very Colourful Creation by Tim Thornborough
I quite like this book, it was you through the creation account of Genesis 1-2, written for kids obviously. But instead of just walking you through the days in a matter of fact kind of way, Tim helps the story come more to life for the little readers by focusing on the colours of creation as he goes through the account. The illustrations make the book come to life with the vibrant colours and beautiful designs. This would be a great book to read to your kids, but also a great book to teach a Sunday school class for little ones (aged 2-6). Get your copy here (to be released on August 1st, but you can pre-order it).
*** I received these books from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This does not change the way I rate the books, my views are my own. ***
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