Bible Storybooks

I think I have learned a lot about Bible storybooks this summer by reading 5 different ones. At first glance, it seemed like they are all okay, but then I started reading more closely. And I want to come up with some wise conclusions, but I'm afraid they are likely going to be very simple.

1. I found that I often questioned the truth of the stories. Details I had always assumed to be in the Bible weren't in the stories and it caused me to go back to the Word and really examine what the Bible says!
The Princess Devotional Bible misrepresented the story of Deborah. The Bible
says that the honor will go to a woman--because of how Barak goes about the
battle. The devotional Bible omits that as the reason why a woman will get
credit--it focuses on the action of Jael.

Today I was reading a story and it said that Saul chose to be called Paul. I
learned as I went back to the Word that I knew that many of Jesus' disciples
were renamed by Him. I had assumed the same was true for Saul/Paul. But, in
fact, it says in Acts 13, "Saul, who was also called Paul". I couldn't find a
definitive answer. But, to say that Saul chose that name isn't necessarily
correct or incorrect. In the second Bible story book I'm looking at, the story
is more accurate and it simply says "Saul, who was also called Paul" just as the
Bible does.

2. I think that the translation the authors used does matter! I have found that a lot of the new Bible story books are using scripture from the NLT rather than the NIV. The NLT is similar to the TNIV which uses gender neutral language and changes how the Bible is read. The NLT is also, I believe, supposed to be more culturally relevant. I don't think the point of the Bible is to be culturally relevant. My favorite Bible storybooks are still the Read Aloud Bible Stories from the late 80s and the Bible Illustrated for little Children, published in 1985. I prefer these books because they are so biblical and I haven't found anything questionable.

3. Pictures are important. My daughters love pictures. We were looking at a new one today and Autumn's first comment was that she wished there were more pictures. They enjoy the pictures. I don't like harsh pictures. I think that is more a matter of taste though. I much prefer the pictures in the Big Picture Bible to the Jesus Storybook Bible.

4. The recommended age for a Bible Storybook isn't always what I think is really appropriate--whether for reading level or comprehension. The Jesus Storybook Bible really is for children 6+, not 4+, in my opinion. I think my children are pretty average. Not really far above average or below average. The age appropriateness of a book is a very personal matter for a parent to decide--I can see that. You know what your child understands.

5. I haven't quite figured out why there are so many Bible storybooks. When the author writes an introduction, it helps me understand why they chose the stories they have, but if there isn't an introduction, sometimes it is hard to understand.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Bible Storybooks and what you think! Do you agree with me or disagree? =)