The Missus and I were in a bookshop this afternoon and stumbled upon the Jesus Storybook Bible. We were looking for a bible for Reubs, who is turning two in a few weeks. Although this Bible is clearly for ages 4 and above, we thought we'd get this one anyway and all grow into it.
The first thing that caught our eyes was the tag line - every story whispers His name. This simple phrase drew us in - what a joy to have that emphasized throughout the whole book. The second thing was the book is gorgeous to look at. The cover is simply a picture of Jesus, a delightful foretaste of the style used throughout the rest of the book's illustrations.
Those two things along were enough for us to take a punt on it. (We plumped for the 'deluxe' edition, which comes bundled with the audio version of the book - narrated by David Suchet.)
When we got it home Reuben took no time in insisting that we unwrap it and read it to him. Well, he quickly tired of it (being only small), but we were rapt. In no time at all we were playing the audiobook and falling in love with Jesus all over again as we heard the old familiar stories in a new way. The book is actually a paraphrase of key Bible passages, and covers the whole sweep of the Biblical narrative. It is beautifully illustrated, and I can't wait to explore the images with Reuben as his attention develops. The audiobook is a great accompaniment; a good narrator can highlight facets of the text that you might not see, and this is exactly what Suchet does. In summary, these adults are pretty impressed with this children's version, and it's going to be our real pleasure to introduce Reuben to the Great Big Story in this way.
Every story whispers his name.
