90 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally a Children's Bible that is Christ-Centered!, March 18, 2005
This review is from: The Big Picture Story Bible (Hardcover)
Among chidlren's bibles, this one stands in a league all its own. Helm refuses to treat the bible as a collection of disconnected stories whose main purpose is to get kids to "be good little boys and girls". Instead He lets the bible be what it is meant to be: the unfolding and often messy story of the creator's plan to rescue this rebellious world and bring it back under the rule of it's rightful king. He masterfully pays attention to the details of the biblical narratives, but always connects it to God's promise to bring blessing to the world through Israel, and finally and completely through Jesus. He writes at a level that is simple and accessible to small children and yet theologically informed. The illustrations are done with excellence and in a way that is appealing to small children. My advice: Toss all your moralistic, theologcially weak children's bibles in the recycling bin and buy this one!
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46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gospel for Children (a.k.a Biblical Theology light), June 28, 2006
This review is from: The Big Picture Story Bible (Hardcover)
How does one start a review of a book like the Bible? How does one review a book written by one's pastor and friend? Well, I can tell you that I am unashamedly proud of this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to ALL.
First and most important of all, this is a very fair and generous rendering of the Bible. This book contains all the key episodes of the biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation (and more), as others have said. Second, it is a book that is easily and enthusiastically embraced by children. Third, while many children's Bibles, like much Sunday School curriculum, take a biblical story and apply it as a moral lesson, the art, language and layout of this book remarkably captures the THEOLOGY of the Bible in a Christ-centered, Gospel-centered, and redemptively-centered way which is such a much better way of teaching children the message of Scripture.
What's that mean? Well for classical Protestants and even Catholics, that's the way that the Church has read Scripture for thousands of years. In the Old Testament, the themes about God's people, God's covenant, God's King and Kingdom, (namely, God's plan of salvation for the world), emerge in a promisory, national, prophetic and shadowy way. In the New Testament the themes, promises, hopes and plans of God come to their climactic and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. This is how our Bible as a story fits together in a coherent and exciting whole.
Remember when you first really grasped that? For me it was as an adult. I looked back at my art work from Sunday School and found crosses glued together, pictures of Noah and the Arky and that sort of thing. Imagine for a moment what it would be like if we had learned at a young age to undestand the Bible as a story about God's plan of salvation, involving God's people, under God's king and how Noah, Abraham, Moses, Israel, David, the Prophets and all the rest fit into that wonderful plan!? And even more, how Jesus is the glorious Savior who brings all of God's purposes for humanity and the world to their proper end!?
What's so remarkable about this book is that the author (David Helm) and the illustrator (Gayle Schoonmaker) do an excellent job of using good language and good artistic perspective to grasp what the Bible is all about. There are repetitive kinds of pictures in the Bible, from a "God's eye view," when there are repetitive events in Scripture - like when the patriarchs enter and leave the land of Canaan, and when Israel enters and is expelled from the promised land, and when Jesus Christ enters and leaves Judah. As such, they are capturing artistically what is typologically happening as the narrative of Scripture unfolds. Another illustrative example would be the similarity in artistic rendering of the 12 children of Israel and the 12 apostles. Where we as adults have come to correctly understand links in the chain of God's redemptive purposes - these authors have created theologically accurate visual representations of these themes for children. It's remarkable! And what's more, the God's eye perspective really helps visually emphasize God's plan, design and reign over all these events.
And here's a little bonus. This book is great for adults too.
Five stars. There is no better resource for children available. Now if we can only see to it that it gets the widest possible distribution and acceptance.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Biblical Overview for Kids, August 19, 2005
This review is from: The Big Picture Story Bible (Hardcover)
This God-centered story Bible brings out the unifying themes of scripture. One might call it Biblical Theology for Kids. The author presents the stories as moving toward the goal of redemptive history: God's people in God's place under God's rule. The influence of the biblical-theological of Grahme Goldsworthy is noted. I am using with my son David who is four. We can cover several sections each evening, allowing time to discuss the themes in each story. I have also read it two special education boys (3rd and 4th grades) who I work with. They can read along with only minimal help with words like sacrifice, Nicodemus and steadfast. Reading with the boys it took about ninety minutes to read straight through. This book is heavily illustrated and is primarily a retelling of the stories. It should not be confused with a Children's Bible. However, it is idea for a beginner's story Bible. The author has provided an essential overview of biblical history in story Bible format. This could be used as a primer and review during story time. Then after reading a story read a corresponding chapter during family devotions. It would also be useful for older children and adults who need to see the Big Picture of the Bible.
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