Initially, I thought these books were pretty special because they were passed down to us from Isabelle & Andrew's uncles, who are now 14 & 15 (Mmmhmm, you read that right! My youngest brothers are teenagers). My sister bought Read-Aloud Bible Stories, Volumes 1 & 2, for my brothers when they were younger. I loved the idea of my daughter reading the same books as her uncles.
There are so many reasons to love these volumes. First, they're solid hardback books. Secondly, the pages are fun and exciting. The colors are so bright and the images are some that children can relate to, like nearly all black pages when the author describes all the things that Blind Bartimaeus can't see. After all, toddlers and pre-schoolers don't always understand blindness.
Jesus is always wearing white, which makes him stand out, but his face is never shown, alleviating concerns about the image of God in books. I like it because it prevents children from seeing a European version of Jesus, rather than the Jewish man that he was.
But the stories themselves are the best part. The words are fun and engaging. Jesus' disciples aren't just fishing in a boat. The author describes the sounds of the water, "splish, splash." And they catch fish: "Big fish, little fish, wiggly fish. Oh my!" These are some of Isabelle's favorite parts, and she loves to recite them.
At two, I want my daughter to enjoy learning about Jesus, and these books have helped accomplish that. These stories definitely stick with her. She can tell you about "A Sad Day and a Happy Day" when Jesus died on the cross and rose again.
Here's a video of Isabelle "reading" one of the stories:
What books do you recommend for teaching little ones about Jesus?
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