Customer Reviews

Kids' Bible Facts (Kids' Guide to the Bible)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't say how much I love this series! It is absolutely perfect for use with my second grade Sunday School class. The format, similar to a slick, glossy magazine layout, is eye-catching and perfect for the short attention spans of 8-9 year olds. For this book in particular, I love the lists scattered throughout: favorites include "Three Fattest Men in the Bible" and "Rodents Registered in the Writings". The "Strange but True" sections are also great attention getters. It's hard to help kids today relate to the things that happened in Biblical days, but these books catch their attention and help with all the explaniations we have to give. I actually plan on using some of the information in this one this week with my kids!

I absolutely LOVE this book. You can't sit and see everything there is to see in this book in just one sitting as there is so much information! Bible facts line the pages, as well as, interesting tidbits of trivia, photographs, definitions of words in the Bible, listings of important people in the Bible, and more. This is a must-read resource for children and adults alike.

With the sub-title "amazing, funny, even gross Bible stuff from Genesis to Revelation," I was surprised to find Kids' Bible Facts by Ed Strauss is really more of a Bible dictionary than anything else.

With nearly 100, mostly full color illustrations, Strauss' book is, above all, exciting for the eyes. There are photos you might expect (like a model of the Arc of the Covenant and antique paintings of scenes from the Bible), and photos that may come as a surprise (like Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog - because some Bible names do sound like they belong to Muppets).

I expected the text to focus on weird facts that would intrigue kids and send them to the Bible. And there is some of that:

"Ezekiel once had a vision of a calley filled with dry bones. There was a tremendous rattling and blanking when the skeletons suddenly reassembled! [See Ezekiel 37:1-10]"

"The Bible talks about an astonishing, fire-breathing swamp monster called leviathan. Read all about it in Job 41. Was it real or symbolic? No one knows for sure."

But most of the entries are much more like a Bible dictionary. For example, the first few entries are for "Aaron" and "Abednego" and offer pretty standard definitions.

What I Like: This book is fun to look at. The pictures are terrific and many are intriguing. (Why show a photo of a man looking miniature beneath a huge dinosaur skeleton? Because the Bible mentions a dinosaur-like creature called a behemoth. Why an image of Paul Revere's famous ride? Because Paul had a (somewhat) similar one.) The sidebars found on nearly every page ("Four War Songs That Women Sang," "Eight Weird War Weapons," "Eight Times the Isrealites Vanquished Giants") are fun, too.

What I Dislike: As a sort of not-afraid-to-be-funny kids' Bible dictionary, I think this book is great. But if you're looking for a book that lives up to the "amazing...even gross Bible stuff," you may be disappointed.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Kristina Seleshanko
Christian Children's Book Review

I am an advocate for great Christian Bible tools for children. So, when I came across this book, it immediately piqued my interest. There are so many Christian books on the market that appear to be valid and helpful but they fail miserably once you begin to read them. But I had a good feeling about this publication once I reviewed the features. And to cut to the chase, the book upholds each detail and more!

Let me begin my review with the size of this publication. Closed it measures 9.5in. x 7.5in. which is a nice size for smaller hands. The pages are colorful and the visual content is quite engaging. You just want to read more and before you know it, you've absorb 10-15 pages of historical and geographical bible knowledge in a matter of minutes.

The layout consists of on one page: who's that- gives information about each character in the Bible, fun fact bubbles-gives various tidbits well and not so well known, strange but true bubbles- facts that are out of the ordinary but true, key term and phrase definitions- words and word phrases defined , and photos (with more cultural, historical, and geographical facts about the various regions in the Bible). On the opposite page: there are more great photos with little tidbits noted, the main feature lesson- drawn from stories in the bible, more strange but true bubbles of information, and an orange list of answers to the topic.Believe me you're never bored nor overwhelmed!

There is a plethora of information to be experienced in in this fun book and it only takes a little time to really make an impact. Beware, adults may be just as intrigued in this publication as the kids it was meant for!



Kids' Bible Facts (Kid's Guide to the Bible)