Review: The Jesus Story Bible

I recently had the opportunity to review The Jesus Story Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago.



Wow! I was impressed! This is a hardcover book with about 350 pages. The book is divided into 43 stories. At the top of each chapter is the Scripture reference where the story came from. The stories are very easy to read. There were some artistic liberties (like God said, "Hello light") but I didn't think it took away from the story. The best part of the book, is that it truly does show how the story of Jesus is woven the Bible. This weaving starts with creation and the fall....

Before they left the Garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve; "It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you!...."

After the Tower of Babel, the thread goes on....

People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them. And, one day, it would.

After telling the story of Abraham offering Isaac, the story continues....

Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back. LIke Isaac, he would trust his Father and do what his Father asked. He wouldn't struggle or run away. Who was he? God's Son, his only Son--the Son he loved. The Lamb of God.

Throughout the book, the Story continues.

The illustrations are very well done. The colors are vibrant, and the pictures are varied. Some pages just have "portraits" with the character names underneath. Other pages have illustrations that cover the entire two page spread. Every so often, you have to turn the book sideways because the two page picture is tall instead of wide. That said, the style of the illustrations are not really my style. I don't like the faces. But my kids loved the pictures.

The night I received the book, I sat down with my kids (11, 5 and 3) and started reading. After finishing the first story, we looked through the pictures. The kids were able to identify most of the stories from the picture. Each night since, we have read one chapter. (Well, some nights it was two because they begged for more!) Every time a statement was made about The Secret Rescue Plan or some other reference to Jesus' birth, my kids (well, the 11 and 5 years old, at least) were able to tell me what it meant.

My kids have a pretty good Biblical foundation already, but they enjoyed this retelling. My 11 year old did correct a few things, but he still asks for "one more story!" My 5 year old has gotten the most out of the stories. The 3 year old doesn't like to sit still for anything, but he did pay attention. Last night he wouldn't let me read until he was settled. I think this Storybook Bible would also be appropriate for someone with a limited (or no) experience with the Bible.

The Jesus Storybook Bible retails for $17, but both ChristianBook.com and Amazon had it for less.


Thanks to Faith Approved for this review opportunity.