A review of N.T. Wright's Bible storybook

I recently got my hands on the new “God’s Big Picture Bible Storybook” by N.T. Wright! Here are my thoughts.

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[ringthembells]

Excellent balanced Review. He said The publisher only gave him 150 stories to funnel the Bible into. His big contribution was finally including Paul into our children’s story books. The more resources we have in this field of Biblical children’s literature is a plus! Good Work brother✅🔔✅

[tsukareppi]

I really like the way he’s rendered Psalm 23! Had no idea this was out—thank you for an excellent review and showing and sharing many of the stories. Definitely getting this one!

[drmichaelshea]

This looks like a good book. I ordered one for my granddaughter. Thanks for the review.

[Saru]

Thank you for this review. After seeing the review I got a copy for my 8 year old daughter. We are both enjoying reading it. It is a great entry point.

[__reneemaof]

Thank you, it is ordered and arriving tomorrow. Now I'll have another book to use for bedtime stories that is Christian!

[elizabethhankins]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing! I look forward to checking this out!

Here are some of the ones our family has enjoyed…

The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm - geared for 2-5 year olds - keeps Goldsworthy’s “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing” front and center throughout. This is my absolute favorite picture story Bible for toddlers thus far. Simple text, vibrant colors. Keeps the main thing the main thing. I often recommend new believers read this just to get a quick big picture overview of the Bible’s storyline.

The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible by Jared Kennedy - also good for toddlers…a little more interactive with counting activities and things to engage young readers with shorter attention spans

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones - Elementary-aged kids - Aims to demonstrate how every story of the Bible “whispers” the name of Jesus. Takes more artistic license sometimes which I end up reverting back to more biblical language. (Ex. God said, “Hello light!” just doesn’t seem to convey the same idea as “Let there be light!” to my mind, and I see no point of watering down the original words of the biblical text here.)

Two popular children’s ministry curricula for kids in my circles include: 1) The Gospel Story for Kids (published by New Growth Press out of Greensboro, NC) by Marty Machowski. This line offers a story Bible for kids as well as an OT & NT devotional for families (We have used the devotional books more than the story Bible.); and 2) The Gospel Project material by Lifeway…they also have a line of big-picture-story-Bibles, but I haven’t read any of them yet.

Kevin DeYoung recently published The Biggest Story Bible Storybook…very colorful and engaging retellings that are biblically faithful. This may be my new favorite for the elementary aged crowd. DeYoung employs lest artistic license than Lloyd-Jones and isn’t as dry as Machowski. While he is Reformed, it didn’t strike me as being as blatant as Meade (below).

Starr Meade has two volumes that would appeal to your more reformed-ish leaning subscribers: The Mighty Acts of God and The Wondrous Works of God. These include more doctrinal material that don’t lend themselves as well to a broader audience, IMO. (Ex. My older kids still remember the example of a a dead man not being able to pick up a green pencil in order to be saved. Obviously, some Christians understand what it means to be dead in transgression and sins differently. :) )

[oliviacribb]

As a future homeschool mom (my girls are currently 3 years old) thank you for this review! I've been looking for early elementary Bible curriculum and this looks awesome!

[Trekkifulshay]

I'd been considering this but was waiting for this review.

[plgrmOne]

Awesome review! I would also add that it's refreshing to hear God's personal name in a children's book.

[alinahitsman]

I agree that there was more needed to be included because that would have been fantastic, I did hear him state that he was only allowed room for this many so it is what it is but ugh if only he could have been allowed more room!

[daveweber]

Thanks for the review!
I think I'll order this when I can afford it; it would make great reading to our grandkiids.
👍👍

[Benjamin-bqtc]

Thank you. I've been looking for a good book like this. My daughter will be turning 6 later this year. She loves stories, but she's very artistic/visually oriented, so I think this will be perfect. The style is great.

[ArleneAdkinsZell]

Oh thank you, my grandchildren will love this.

[chancylvania]

Heck yeah! The miracle maker is awesome! I’ve watched it on vcr when I was little

[moniquethomas]

I am 40 reasons to trust god is another great childrens story bible book

[KurtWillems]

Awesome review! Also, Tom likely changed or augmented his view on the cleansing of the temple after he was challenged to do so at a conference when Walsh and Keesmaat pushed him in this area in a paper they presented.

[mafbanks]

The Miracle Maker is a favorite of mine as well. I’d just say watch it before showing little ones. There’s a few scenes that could be scary for them. The one I’m thinking of is with Mary Magdalene before she meets Jesus.

[perbondesen]

It appears to me that Tom Wright has written two different children's Bibles:

My Big Story Bible: 140 Faithful Stories, from Genesis to Revelation

and

God's Big Picture Bible Storybook: 140 Connecting Bible Stories of God's Faithful Promises

Both were published this year. Could we please have a review with a comparison between the two?

[beingpath]

Kristi Burke and MindShift are great YouTube channels for understanding the Bible.

[trustthevorlon]

only complaint I have is the idiosyncratic translation of the Our Father... my wish is that it had been printed as the traditional liturgical text to help children be consistent with common prayer