The Picture Bible is The Holy Bible done in graphic novel format and done remarkably well. The text covers the majority of The Bible from Genesis to Revelations – not word for word, but you get a general idea or overview of the text – the spirit of The Bible you can say. The Minor Prophets, epistles and the heavily metaphoric Revelations were mentioned in passing, but more importantly they were mentioned. Iva Hoth should be commended for writing a faithful and compelling text that stood the test of time.
The art was done rather well, nothing spectacular or super-realistic, but not overly simplified or cartoonish either – it was the perfect mix. The art was consistent enough throughout the book and done well to keep the attention of their target audience. My godson, who I read this with, wouldn't want to put it down and go to sleep and tried to stay up to continue reading it. André Le Blanc should be commended for bringing the characters alive with his art, which was beautifully rendered and very vibrant.
Although the target audience is for young children, boys in particular, I found myself loving it just as much. I also think that it's very helpful to those who are visual learners of any age. While attempting to read the Bible could be intimidating, The Picture Bible seems less so, despite its 800-page length. It's also a great stepping stone or jumping off point into making children want to read The Bible.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading The Picture Bible – it was an ambitious project trying to illustrate the entire Bible and to bring it to life and I think that it was a great success! I would recommend it to anyone with or without young children or just a child at heart.