A frequent source of frustration for me is how the Bible is often “dumbed down” for kids. We avoid tough questions. We simplify God and speak only of His love, downplaying His justice, holiness, and other aspects of His nature. As Biblical doctrine is being questioned more and more both outside and sadly also from within the church, we must do a better job of equipping our kids to think. We need to equip them to engage Scripture on a deeper level than picture book stories, to know that God is real and has spoken clearly in His trustworthy and true Word.

Kids are raising real questions, and adults often dismiss them. From my review of Ken Ham’s compelling book, Already Gone: “the Church has failed to teach the Bible as relevant fact. We have, intentionally or unintentionally, taught the Scriptures as “stories” that relate to spiritual matters and have avoided engaging the deluge of challenging questions from the secular world that bombard churched children and adults the other 166 hours of their week.” One of the results of not being allowed to honestly engage in discussion and receive real and satisfying Biblical answers to their questions is an epidemic of young people exiting the church in a steady and predictable flow. We must equip our kids. We must equip parents to equip their kids!

This is one of the many reasons why I love resources from MasterBooks!

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review Ken Ham’s The Answers Book for Kids: Volume 3 – 22 Questions from Kids on God and the Bible. This book is in a question-and-answer format, with each colorful and attractive page spread containing a question from a child from ages 6-12. These aren’t just “kid” questions – I’ve had discussions with adults about these things, too! Questions range from what God looks like to how the Trinity works to how we can know the Bible is true. Some of the questions include:

• How does God know something before it happens?
• How could God be Jesus, and Jesus be God? How can they be the same, but different?
• In the Bible, God is a God of second chances. God gives us a second chance when we sin. So, why didn’t God give Adam and Eve a second chance in the Garden of Eden even though they sinned?
• Why did God allow the Israelites to kill people?

Good questions, right? Ham does not talk down to his young audience with his answers. His replies contain vocabulary such as omnipresent, infinite, omnipotent, abstractly, eternal, triune, coincidences, etc!  Each answer also includes a short list of Biblical references.

Especially if you have a child on the younger end of the targeted age spectrum [the intended audience is 6-12 year olds], don’t expect this book to be a ‘quick read.’ It’s not a bedtime story type of book, but a resource that would be great to intentionally talk through.

My five year old daughter AG stood beside me as I looked at this book for the first time, and she read one of the questions aloud. “Why did God create sin?” Instead of reading her the answer, I asked her, “well, did God create sin?” She shook her head solemnly, “No. Sin comes from us.” It opened for us a little window of conversation about what sin is and where it started, which ties to our ongoing discussion in our house about sin – what it is, how it affects our relationship with God, and what Jesus did about it!

This is how I anticipate using this book – taking time to discuss one or two questions at a time, asking my kids to think through the answer on their own first, reading and discussing Ham’s reply, and then looking up the Biblical references together and discussing what they say and mean. This book is a fabulous tool to help parents teach their kids to think critically and biblically, encouraging them to think about how they would answer these questions if one of their friends asked these questions of them.

Thank you, MasterBooks, for giving us great resources! Parents – it’s up to us to use good tools as tools and engage our kids, teach them to think, equip them to respond to the barrage of questions our culture sends their way.

Want a chance to win some great stuff from Masterbooks? Join us this Tuesday, March 22nd, at 8pm CST for a #masterbooks twitter party! Check out @MeghanTucker‘s post here for more details!

**I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my review from MasterBook  Publishers.

My four year old daughter AG is painfully shy and quiet.  So much so that some of her Sunday school teachers have never heard her voice!  While her shyness is part of her quiet and timid personality and not necessarily a bad thing, I’ve been trying to find some creative ways to help her gain some confidence in social settings.

I found some princess castle invitations on clearance at Target a couple of months ago and simply had to buy them – they were just way too adorable!  The idea was born: a princess tea party.  On a small scale.

I asked AG who she wanted to invite… and lo and behold we ended up with a group of four quiet and shy little girls.  You know what they say about birds of a feather… ;)  That was the quietest play of four preschoolers I have ever observed!

I mentioned on twitter that we were having a princess tea party, and our friends over at Tommy Nelson graciously agreed to send us a party pack to have Gigi, God’s Little Princess as a centerpiece of our party!

We read about Gigi’s royal tea party together:

I loved that this book focuses on Gigi’s excitement to tell her best friend that she was also God’s daughter, which made her a royal princess, too!  Great addition to our party!

We didn’t read it aloud at the party, but AG really likes Gigi and the Purple Ponies, as well:

I like that Gigi doesn’t make the team in this book, but learns to appreciate the gifts God has given her as well as the different gifts He gave to her friends!

We asked all the girls to bring their favorite doll or stuffed friend – AG’s new Gigi doll  came along to the party, of course… and has hardly left her side since she arrived in the UPS truck, I mean… magic carriage.

Our princesses all came dressed up as fancy as they wanted… AG was very excited to wear the Cinderella dress that her Grandma made for her!  And by the way, you can even get a Gigi dress-up kit for the princess at your house!

The girls were having such a great time playing together that we didn’t pull them out for the party, but Tommy Nelson also graciously provided two DVDs for us – AG loves them already.

I appreciate that they are non-annoying, sweet stories that emphasize Biblical truth.  I also love how delightfully girly they are without being too indulgent and emphasizing a world-revolves-around-me mentality.

Each girl also received a Gigi magnetic frame (for a picture that we’ll send them of everyone together!) and also had a “flat Gigi” at the tea table with her name on it. :)

If you’d like to win your own prize pack of Gigi products, check out this great contest!  Print out your own “flat Gigi” and take her with you on whatever adventures your family will be having and upload a picture to the Tommy Nelson facebook fan page!  You’ll be entered to win your own prize pack full of Gigi goodness!   You can find “flat Gigi” and a variety of coloring and activity pages here.

We colored some Gigi pictures at our tea party, too!

For more info about the Gigi product line, watch this video clip!

Thanks, Tommy Nelson, for these great products – we love them… and I think your little princess will love them, too! :)

The amazon links in this post are affiliate links – I would receive a small percentage of any sales resulting from these links.

Children’s Bibles are probably the genre of books I read the most critically and carefully.  These books of stories can greatly enhance our children’s grasp of Biblical truth and build a frame in their minds for future Biblical learning to be added onto, or they can cause lasting damage through misrepresenting, undermining, or falsely teaching what the Bible is about. I had casually flipped through The Children’s Illustrated Biblein stores and liked the realistic illustrations and informative sidebars with archeological, geological, and historical information and photographs.  (You can see more if you click on “look inside!” on the Amazon listing.)  I was looking forward to a chance to review it, hoping that my opinions would remain positive after a closer inspection.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.  I read every word on every page of this 309 page book.  I put a sticky tab with notes on each page I had questions/issues with.  There were a LOT of notes sticking out of this book when I was done.

What first drew me to this book were the realistic and detailed illustrations.  While this was a strength with some stories, with others it was a definite draw-back.  For example, while it is true that Adam and Eve were going “au natural” in the garden, I would prefer them to be a little more covered when my young preschooler reads her story Bible!  Nor, do I want her to see a painting, classic or not, of baby Jesus being circumcised.  And I most definitely don’t want her to study and ponder a picture of Daniel in the lions’ den, where the den has been accurately portrayed filled with human skulls, bones, and blood dripping down the rocks and off of the lion’s teeth.  There are also disturbing pictures of soldiers carrying out Herod’s orders to kill the male children after Jesus was born (soldiers with bloody swords and mothers begging for mercy with babies huddled in their arms), and of a servant carrying John the Baptist’s head, mostly covered by a bloody cloth, on a platter to Salome.

I do appreciate accurate illustrations, but TMI!!  My daughter would be afraid of some of the pictures in this book! [Admittedly, these gory pictures might be a draw to older boys...] :)

As I mentioned, another aspect of this book that I initially appreciated were the sidebars full of extra scientific/ archeological/ historical information and photographs.  Sometimes these things were very interesting and informative – I liked seeing photos of natural items that would have been used to dye garments like Joseph’s coat, typical foods eaten by the Egyptians, and traditional house structures from Nazareth.

At times, however, it appeared that the team of people contributing to this book clearly did not hold the Bible to be literally true.  For instance, it is suggested that the Israelites crossed through a “marshy swamp” rather than miraculously through a sea (although the illustration shows them walking through the parted sea), and I was outraged at the “explanation” that manna may have been sweet liquid which seeps from the hammada shrub.  (Really?  Feeding thousands of people for 40 years with sap?  This just ignores the clear description the Bible gives of what manna looked like.) There were many little details like these that I found heretical and could seriously undermine a child’s faith in what the Bible says.

Another real danger in paraphrased, abbreviated sections of the Bible in books like these is that any biases held by the authors and editors are included in the text as they “retell” the stories.

For instance, we are told that God rejected Cain’s offering because it was not the best of his produce – as we have discussed in the past, we just don’t know that for sure.  In addition, God’s conversation with Cain in Genesis 3:7 is phrased as, “Why are you angry?… you will succeed if you work hard; and if you do not, the sin will be yours.”  This completely changes the issue.  The problem was not that Cain wasn’t working hard!

In the story of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah, the angel stops Abraham and says, “You have proved your perfect love of God by your willingness to sacrifice even your child.”  Again, as we have discussed, that is NOT the point.

Where the author and editors’ biases are most apparent, however, are in the life and parables of Jesus.  In a two-page summary of Jesus’ life and ministry, the text reads, “The death of Jesus is important to Christians because they believe that, in dying, he was showing God’s love for all people.  For this reason the cross became the main symbol of Christianity.  Christians believe, however, that death did not put an end to Jesus, but that his spirit lives on, especially through his followers.” (207) Notice the complete lack of mention of sin, need for forgiveness, etc – and how His bodily resurrection is ignored!

Each parable begins with an “explanation,” which often misses the point and emphasize “good living.”  For example – Lazarus and the rich man was “a story to warn people about God’s judgment of the selfish.”  The Pharisee who prayed in public for show and the Tax Collector who humbly beseeched God for mercy in private were “to show how important it is not to be conceited or to look down on others.”

The letters of Paul, also, are summarized with an emphasis on being good rather than on salvation through Christ and resulting deeds which flow out of a changed heart.  “If you follow Jesus, you will find that you can overcome your worst instincts… There is no earthly law to make you into a good person, but if you obey the laws of Jesus, you will not only do what is right, but also find true happiness and peace.” (307)

Perhaps this seems like I am being nitpicky.  But parents, if there is ever a time to be picky about books, it is when a book is seeking to represent God’s Word and ways to our children.  Read with a critical eye.  Be cautious!  And teach them the actual words that the BIBLE says – not just a paraphrased summary!

My husband had a great idea.  He suggested that I keep this Bible, highlight all the problem areas with a bright highlighter, and use it when our children are older and able to think critically.  When they get to a highlighted section, it will be a time for us to read carefully, pull out our Bibles and carefully compare, and teach them to think and use the Bible as the ultimate standard of what is True.   Maybe we’ll make it a game called “spot the heresy.” ;)

I am an amazon affiliate and would receive a small percentage of any sales resulting from the links in this post.  I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my review by New Leaf Publishing Group.

**Love books? Don’t forget to enter the giant book giveaway!**
Kathleen Ruckman’s The Big Book is a childlike celebration of all the bigness that is in God’s created world! Mountains, the sky, the ocean, whales, dinosaurs, and even giant-seeming football players delight children with their enormity, and Ruckman’s rhyming text joins them in their awe of all things big. The book points back to God as the creator, and points out that while He made everything that is large and mighty, that He also made you!

As you might guess, The Tiny Book is a similar celebration of all things small. Ladybug spots, baby toes, flower seeds, drops of water, snowflakes, and ants are among the tiny things showcased in this book. Again, the gently rhyming text points the child back to God as creator of all things big and small.

I’m still undecided about the illustrations in these books. They are colorful, full-page pictures, but for some reason I find the people’s faces to be a little creepy. ;) I think the illustrator was going for quirky, but I can’t decide if I like them or not! My 3 year old daughter, however, loves these books. She has examined the illustrations of both of these more than most books she sees. So, apparently the illustrations get an A+ from her! I figure her opinion probably trumps mine in this area. ;)

They are definitely enjoyable little volumes no matter how you slice it, and since they are available from the publisher for less than $3 each, I’d say that is a great bargain!

**For more information or to purchase a copy, click on the book cover image or title to be taken to the publisher’s website. I am an affiliate and will receive a small percentage of the sale of this or other products. I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my review from New Leaf Publishing Group. The opinions expressed in this review are my unbiased thoughts as in keeping with my disclosure policy.