The Biggest Bible Storybook

The Biggest Bible Storybook has some excellent features – it is sturdily bound, large format, comprehensive (50 Bible stories from the Old Testament and 50 from the New), and has excellent and plentiful illustrations – although it was a pity that the tar-covered Noah’s ark is coloured in brown and red, even on the covert. A special feature of the book is that the stories are introduced and told by children, and their lives and backgrounds provide an unusual and accurate cultural background to Bible times. The stories themselves are strongly conservative in tone (‘All the Bible stories really happened’). But some of the details are inaccurate – the tree in the Garden of Eden was of Knowledge of Good and Evil and not just knowledge; it was a raven first sent out of the ark; Joseph’s coat with long sleeves was not a special present so much as the symbol of the heir; quails were not sent to feed the Israelites during their exodus every day; Jesus wasn’t praying when arrested in Gethsemanie; and so on. The author needed an informed editor to ensure complete accuracy, and one who would avoid (confusingly) putting the Day of Pentecost in the wrong chronological place among the stories. Further, some of the concepts will not be understood. Children in Sunday School might possibly know what the book means when it speaks of being ‘saved’, that God speaks from His ‘word’, and that there is a ‘Sift’ and activity of the Holy Spirit, but it will leave very little meaning for children outside of the church. However, overseen by an informed parent or teacher, this is still an excellent book.