Choosing the right Bible

Here are a few hints for choosing a Bible storybook or a Bible by age group.

1. Preschoolers. For this age group, a simply illustrated Bible storybook that covers the key Bible stories and has a smal number of simple words per picture is appropriate.

2. Beginning Readers. Several Bible storybooks have been created with simplified vocabularies at a reading level for the beginning reader. Your choice should be simply illustrated and contain more stories than a storybook for preschoolers. If you can find one that takes more than two pages to tell a story, your children will enjoy the stories more.

3. Grade schoolers. Look for a Bible that contains more words and therefore more of the details of each story. Don't choose one, however that has so many words and so few pictures that your child will give up. (The best balance of text and pictures will vary with the individual child, of course.) The illustrations for this level should be more detailed and interesting, but be careful to choose a book that has artwork that will appeal to your child. (Some children's Bible storybooks have been on the market so long that the artwork is no longer current and exciting for today's kids.) Some Bible storybooks for this age group have a very simple Bible reference tool or index in the back, which is a plus.

In the last few years, technology has created a whole range of new tools. Bibles and Bible storybooks are now available on CD, many with a variety of multimedia elements. Although these tools can be wonderful assistants in teaching our children the Bible, we should still have a hard copy available for them to read and carry, reinforcing its personal importance.

Another great tool, especially for younger kids, is video material that features animated Bible stories. Video Bible time shouldn't replace regular Bible study with our children, since part of what we're doing with our kids is helping them develop a lifelong habit of Bible reading. But videos can augment our teaching.