Recommendation: The Big Picture Story Bible

David Helm, The Big Picture Story Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004). Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker.

reviewed by Doug Smith

Many of us have read children’s Bible stories that focus on individual stories in the Bible in a disconnected and disjointed way. However, not all such resources approach the Bible in that way! Having just read The Big Picture Story Bible to our family over the last several weeks (thanks to being a winner in a contest Tony Kummer hosted), I can heartily recommend it to you as one that helps you see the forest of the Bible, not just individual trees. Comprised of 26 chapters (11 cover the Old Testament, 15 cover the New), the 456 pages of this hardcover book go by fast. One can easily read one or two chapters in a brief time of family devotions. Although the book is written simply, it is substantive and edifying for adults as well as children.

The chief strength of the book is that it is a mini-biblical theology. Graeme Goldsworthy (Gospel and Kingdom; According to Plan) has contended that the Bible is all about the Kingdom of God, which he defines as God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule. David Helm acknowledges Goldsworthy’s influence and does an excellent job showing the unfolding of this theme throughout the Bible. It is exciting to see the story unfold. You learn that neither David nor Solomon is God’s perfect King, and continually wait for Him until you are presented with Jesus Christ, who is the centerpiece of Scripture and fulfills all the promises about the Kingdom of God. The book makes the Gospel and its implications plain (something that many story Bibles overlook!). It helps us see God's sovereignty and holiness, our sin, and the Savior who suffered in the place of those who believe in Him, that He might make them into God's people, in God's place, under God's rule.

Because of the “big picture” perspective, many favorite Bible stories are overlooked. You won’t find anything about King Saul or the feeding of the 5,000. But The Big Picture Story Bible is not meant to be exhaustive – it is meant to be an overview. As a resource that helps us see “the forest,” it must be selective, especially if it is to be of a suitable length to fulfill its purpose. The bird’s eye view of the book gives readers/listeners a good foundation to see the individual stories within the context of the whole Bible. It’s a great place for children to start and was quite profitable for this adult to read as well!

The only caution I would give about the book regards the illustrations. My children (all under 4) love the colorful cartoonish pictures. But some potential readers may have a problem with any pictures of Jesus and whether this violates the second commandment. I’m not necessarily convinced that this is always true (I believe it can be), and it is certainly not an issue to dismiss lightly. So, if this is a matter of conviction for you, be advised that there are pictorial representations of Jesus in the book.

The Big Picture Story Bible is a great resource to have for your child’s bookshelf as well as for family devotions. It would also be great for young children in a Sunday school, pre-school or Christian school context. Its short chapters make it easy to finish in a month. Its substance makes it easy to want to read it again and again. I hope to read it at least two or three times a year to my family to make sure we don’t miss the forest for the trees when learning the small units of the Bible. It reminds us that the whole Bible is about God's Kingdom, being His people, in His place, under His rule, which is only possible through what our Lord Jesus Christ has done by His perfect life, death, and resurrection for all who trust Him.

Learn more and check it out:

• Description
• Table of Contents
• Excerpt: Part 1: The Very Good Beginning - 4,538K PDF
• Excerpt: Part 23: God's Promise Is Explained - 2,804K PDF

Bibles for Children - Some Advice from Al Mohler

Dr. Albert Mohler recently gave some helpful suggestion for children’s Bibles and for reading to children:

• For preschool age (you can also read samples at the links to the books): The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm and The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones (http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1056)
• For school age: The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos (http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1057)

HT: The Reformed Parishioner, Theosource

Six Resources Helpful in Catechizing a 3-Year Old

 

My wife and I are attempting to instruct our children in spiritual matters, although they are both very young (our oldest is three).  We are convinced that family worship is a large part of this responsibility.  Yes, it's tricky with young children.  Some times are easier than others.  We have to contend with "the wiggles."  But we must be patient and persevere.  I have been encouraged in this undertaking by several resources and wanted to point you to some of them.

 

First, the foundational and essential resource is the Bible, because this is where we learn about God, man, Christ, and salvation by faith in Him.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Ephesians 6:4 taught me, even before I was married and became a father, that I was responsible to see that my children be trained up in the instruction of the Lord.

 

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.   And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 

 

(Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

 

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:

but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

(Ephesians 6:4)

 

Second, I must recognize Dr. Don Whitney's booklet, Family Worship: in the Bible, in History and in Your Home.  This booklet showed me the importance of family worship.  The CD has also been helpful (as well as taking a class from Dr. Whitney in which he covered this subject).  This book motivated me by reminding me of the importance of family worship, biblically and historically.  Dr. Whitney's simple approach is very practical:  Read the Bible, pray and sing.  Add Scripture memory, catechizing and reading other books if you have the time.  And it need not be a lengthy time, but it must be regular and consistent.  For a brief synopsis, see this bulletin insert at his website, www.BiblicalSpirituality.org.  Dr. Whitney's point is this:  God deserves to be worshiped daily in our homes by our families. 

 

Third, Bev & Jerry Priest's ABC Memory Verse Program (KJV) goes through the alphabet twice, highlighting key words in each verse (for example, for "E," the book gives John 17:3: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent").  The first set of verses is "salvation verses" and the second set is "growth verses."  The book is available at the link above or by emailing Dr. Jerry Priest at gpriest@dbts.edu.  Our oldest child recognizes each letter and knows the key words; we hope to get the verses in the head too in the near future (we have been able to teach a couple).

 

Fourth, The Child's Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos is a helpful summary of the Scriptures for a child.  Much of the Bible is paraphrased; direct quotations are from the KJV.  From creation to the cross to the church to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory, this resource examines the range of salvation history.  It is broken down into 110 chapters for the Old Testament (with shorter sections in some chapters that make good bite-size chunks for reading) and 92 chapters for the New Testament.  There are also some color illustrations.

 

Fifth, the Truth and Grace (TAG) Memory Books edited by Dr. Tom Ascol are another valuable resource.  The strength of these books is that they give parents a plan of instruction in catechism questions, hymns and Scripture memory verses for ages two through high school.  The catechism questions are based on "A Catechism for Boys and Girls."  Our oldest child knows the first four catechism questions and answers and is on the second Scripture memory verse, but sometimes has an interesting take on things.  One time she recited:  "In the beginning God created . . . bananas!" 

 

Sixth, Judy Rogers' CD, Teach Me While My Heart Is Tender, as far as we can tell, has caused more theological truth to stick to the minds of our children than anything else.  Our oldest child goes around the house singing the songs, many of which are based on a catechism similar to the one used in the Truth and Grace Memory Books mentioned above.  Several of the songs are also based directly on Scripture.  These songs are fun and catchy and present good theology.  This CD is a 30-song collection of selections from Judy's albums, "Why Can't I See God?," "Go to the Ant," "Walkin' Wise" and "Stand Up!"

 

I hope this list is helpful to you, but more than getting any particular book or help is the fact of actually teaching your family about the Lord.  Whatever resources you may use, if you have a family, God has called you to say with Joshua, no matter what others around you may do or fail to do (including other Christians), "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).