We had some friends over tonight and were discussing Bible story books for children. So I thought I’d mention our favorites, which Dr. Albert Mohler seems to also hold in high regard. We really like The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm and The Jesus Story Book Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The former walks through the over-arching “meta-narrative” of the Bible: from creation, to fall, to redemption foreshadowed in the Old Testament to redemption accomplished in the New Testament. The Jesus Story Book Bible also walks through the biblical narrative chronologically, explicitly connecting every story it tells (e.g., David and Goliath) to the ultimate victory accomplished by Jesus. It also contains many more words than The Big Picture Story Bible, so it might be better for slightly older infants. Both books are excellent (both with respect to content and illustrations). They both also have nice chapter divisions; one chapter/night seems to be just right for our 19-month old.
For older children, Dr. Mohler recommends The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos. Says Mohler:
The Child’s Story Bible goes far beyond the picture book format and will appeal to school-age children. The book is older than virtually all of the parents who will be reading it to their children. The enduring popularity of the book is at least partly due to the fact that Vos did not write in a childish manner, but instead assumed that children will want to learn and that they can handle a substantial story from the Bible — not just a story summary with pictures.