The Big Picture Story Bible

[Pull out soapbox, dust it off a bit and, stepping hesitantly onto it, clear my throat.] Middle Eastern Jewish people should look Jewish in illustrations and other art forms.  Not Caucasian.  This drives me batty and I'm a white girl who can't even tan. I can't imagine how crazy this makes people who actually are Jewish.  Can we have a more realistic portrayal of Biblical figures, even when drawn as cartoons?  Just sayin'. [Step down, kick the soapbox back under the bed where it belongs, smile sheepishly.]

That out of the way, The Big Picture Story Bible is a really nice children's book.  It's an over-sized hardcover and brightly illustrated.  I was impressed when it arrived in the mail and I pulled it out of the packaging.  This is a tome of a picture book, but set up in a way that keeps it from being overwhelming.

Covering the main flow of the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, I do believe it would be a great introduction to the Bible for young children.  The major stories are covered and the author does a nice job of tying it all together and making it about more than just a bunch of unrelated vignettes.  It really does give "The Big Picture" and shows God's hand at work throughout Biblical history.

A great choice for a read aloud, perhaps a good devotion time reading for those with Pre-K age children, the sections are short and broken up for you in twenty six parts.  The pages are glossy and of good quality and all in all, it's a book I would have loved to have read to my kids when they were younger.

The Big Picture Story Bible is available for $24.99 from Crossway or your favorite online or local bookstore.  Be sure to check out Crossway's blog for more book selections.

*Disclosure: This book was provided at no cost for review purposes.*