Read with Me Bible Review

The “Read with Me Bible” is a great, early childhood resource for introducing children to God’s Word. There are two versions: one for toddlers (ages 2-5) and one for preschoolers (ages 4-8).

The toddler version (“Read with Me Bible for toddlers”) has 24 classic Bible stories; 10 are from the Old Testament, and 14 from the New Testament. The age appropriate, paraphrased text helpfully presents the central focus of each story in a format that is easy to understand and engaging for toddlers. The artwork will draw adults and children alike into the story and characters.

The regular preschool version (“Read with Me Bible”) greatly expands its survey of Biblical material and has 106 stories, including often overlooked ones like Elijah’s healing of Naaman. This version uses actual NIrV Bible text (which is rare in preschool Bibles), so it is a great first introduction to God’s word. It also has eye-catching artwork.

We (the Caldwells) have extensively used both of these Bibles with our twin 3-year-old girls, and they love them! They already have their favorite stories that they ask for when it is time for “family oceans” (family devotions : ). They have been a great resource for our family to help instill the love of God’s Word at an early age.

You can purchase them at CBD and other booksellers.

The Big Picture Story Bible

The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm

This is an excellent Bible Story Book for children and adults as well.

This Bible stands out because unlike other Bible storybooks which contain a number of stories from the Bible this book focuses on THE main story of the Bible: the good news about Jesus Christ. This Bible tells the true story of God’s love for the world!

David Helm is a pastor and a gifted storyteller. He begins with the Old Testament and shows how Jesus was promised and prepared for throughout the Old Testament. The sweep of the Old Testament is covered in 11 short chapters hitting many major Old Testament stories along the way.  From God’s Creation of the world to man’s rebelllion and God’s promise of sending a Forever King, this is a faithful overview of the main themes of the Old Testament.

The New Testament is covered in 15 additional chapters from the many silent years of the intertestamental period to the very good ending written by John in Revelation. The majority of the New Testament section focuses appropriately on the life of Christ and shows how Jesus fulfilled all the promises of the Old Testament in unexpected ways.

Schoonmaker’s captivating illustrations perfectly capture the emotions of each story. We see the warm, loving relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with their Creator as well as each other. We see the catastrophic loneliness the first sin introduced and the chaos as Israel repeatedly falls short of God’s standard.

In Practice: This Bible contains 26 wonderfully illustrated “chapters”. Each chapter is about the length of a short picture book with one or two lines per page. Two audio CDs are provided with the Bible, which are perfect for a car ride or young children to listen to.

In theory, you could read one chapter a night to your child and give a monthly overview of the gospel. Or, you could focus on one lesson a week and go through the gospel twice in a year. You will probably want to supplement with regular Bible reading, but this should give children the big picture of how all the different Bible stories fit together and point to Christ.

In Summary: In my opinion, this is the best overview of the Bible that children could have. It is very gospel-centered and not moralistic in overtone. Children as young as preschool will learn much from this Bible. Even adults will appreciate this story of a big God who keeps His big promise!

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes

The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth Taylor

The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes is a children’s Story Bible which has been around since 1956. It was written by Kenneth Taylor who is best known for his work in creating the Living Bible and helping with the New Living Translation.

This Bible includes over 150 stories from the Old and New Testament. Each story is quickly covered in one page and features a full page colorful picture for children to look at.There are three questions to talk about the story with your child as well as a short one sentence prayer.

Our Opinion: Recommended for toddlers and preschoolers with note.

While the Bible is marketed for children ages 4-7, we think it ideal for use beginning with toddlers and young preschoolers (ages 2-3).

The one page stories are perfect for children with shorter attention spans. At that age, it’s important to provide children with a good foundation of Bible stories and this Bible is fairly comprehensive in the stories it includes.

NOTE: The only reservation we have is that the stories sometimes are told from more of a moralistic standpoint. This is why we recommend this Bible mostly for the younger ages.  Moralistic Bible lessons emphasize what children should do or not-do. But this is rarely the point of a Bible story. The Bible was written to teach us about God and about the good news that He sent Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sin. It isn’t inappropriate to emphasize moral behavior, especially for the youngest children, but parents may need to help children see the bigger picture and point them to Christ. There are other story Bibles that can help fill the gaps as children get older.

In Practice: 

For us (the Kunzemans), we use this Bible each morning at breakfast. We read and discuss one story daily. It’s quick (about 5 minutes) and it provides our two little ones with a good overview of Bible stories.  Sometimes we find a craft to go along with a particular story to make the story more memorable.