Book Review: The Beginning Reader's Bible

I've been on the lookout for a quality children's Bible for my kids for a while now.  I've spent time browsing bookstores and checked out several different versions from the library.  There are a LOT of children's Bibles out there, but unfortunately many of them are less than impressive.

The Beginning Reader's Bible is among the best of all the kid's Bibles I've looked at.  Included are twenty-six stories from the Old and New Testaments with text from the International Children's Bible translation and  illustrations by Marijke ten Cate.  The resources section in the back of the book provides quick and easy access to oft-used portions of scripture such as the ten commandments and the Lord's prayer as well as songs about Jesus, and a memory verse chart among other things.

The Beginning Reader's Bible stands out to me for many reasons including:

• THE TEXT: So many kid's Bibles are full of goofy rhymes or watered-down text.  I appreciate that this version contains actual scripture.  Each story is comprised of selected verses from the corresponding chapter(s) of the Bible.  The text is formatted with little verse numbers just as it would be in a grown-up's Bible.  

• THE ILLUSTRATIONS: Again, lots of kid's Bibles contain illustrations that are cartoony or sub par in quality.  Marijke ten Cate's illustrations are artistic, colorful, and realistic.  I love that the illustrations fill the entire space of each page.

• THE FORMAT: This is a rather large book - about 10 inches by 9 inches.  It is hardcover, thick and heavy.  Not ideal for a little one to sit down and hold on his own lap, but perfect for reading together.  It also has a built-in ribbon bookmark, which we've found quite helpful.

• THE RESOURCES: The ten commandments, Lord's prayer, and twenty-third Psalm are such vital parts of scripture (and so often memorized in childhood), so I'm glad that they are included.  The reading chart, memory verse chart and lists (12 apostles, books of the Bible, etc.) are also helpful.

Despite the title, this is not a Bible for beginning readers.  The print is too small and not spaced well for eyes that are just beginning to read.  The translation is suitable for children, but still full of words that would be beyond the grasp of young readers.  To be fair, I'm not sure that any version of scripture could be considered "for beginning readers."  Perhaps this Bible would be better described as one for beginning Bible-studiers (but that doesn't make for a very good title).

We've really enjoyed reading through this Bible, and I'm certain it will continue to get lots of use in our house in the future.

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.