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The Biggest Story Bible Storybook
The Bible Is a BIG book that tells the BIGGEST story.
The Bible is a big book about a great God. From beginning to end, each page tells about the God who created the world, acted in history, and continues to act in the present. In The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, pastor Kevin DeYoung retells this grand story for children ages 6–12 through 104 short readings.
Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, DeYoung’s engaging retellings of various Scripture passages explain how each one fits into the storyline of the Bible. Each reading is coupled with beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, offering kids a visual entry point into each story. Perfect for bedtime stories or to read together as a family, both children and parents alike will experience the captivating story of the Bible in an easy-to-understand, compelling way.
The Bible is a big book about a great God. From beginning to end, each page tells about the God who created the world, acted in history, and continues to act in the present. In The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, pastor Kevin DeYoung retells this grand story for children ages 6–12 through 104 short readings.
Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, DeYoung’s engaging retellings of various Scripture passages explain how each one fits into the storyline of the Bible. Each reading is coupled with beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Don Clark, offering kids a visual entry point into each story. Perfect for bedtime stories or to read together as a family, both children and parents alike will experience the captivating story of the Bible in an easy-to-understand, compelling way.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
331 people are currently reading
4507 people want to read
About the author
Kevin DeYoung
113 books1,236 followersKevin DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, right across the street from Michigan State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
October 21, 2021
My endorsement: “With typical clarity and verve, Kevin captures the wonder of the greatest story ever told. My children are going to have a hard time reading it, though, because their dad will keep stealing it to read himself.”
March 25, 2024
Upon a third reading, I still stand by everything I wrote after the first. I'm glad to have this to read with all my kids, and glad that they'll get more from it with every pass through.
I love this book! I don't think it's flawless, but I think it will easily earn its place on family bookshelves.
1. The illustrations are beautiful! There were a few times when I turned a page and thought, "I would hang this picture on my wall." Seriously, gorgeous. And the print quality is top-notch.
2. On the other hand, I don't entirely know how I feel about the pictures of Jesus. On the one hand, I don't think depictions of Jesus are as clearly violating the second commandment as depictions of the divine nature (@Michaelangelo). Some say any depiction of the human Jesus is Nestorian because it implies the two natures can be separated; one could easily retort that the criticism is Eutychian because it implies the natures can't be distinguished. It's not cut-and-dry, is my point. Still, my preference is to play it safe. The book raises the question: Are highly stylized pictures of Jesus playing it safe? DeYoung states in his "Letter to Parents" that the stylized art style keeps his conscience clear. I'm still honestly on the fence.
3. The prose is plain and approachable while still being doctrinally rich. I expect as much from this author. Qualms I had with the original Biggest Story are put to rest here: The deity of Christ is emphasized in no uncertain terms.
4. I was glad to see that DeYoung (and Clark) didn't shy away from difficult thematic elements in the Bible. The book talks about murders, wars, all the people who drowned beneath Noah's ark, and the fires of Hell. With illustrations! They do sanitize sexual themes, I think wisely.
5. The breadth of what is included here is impressive. It's not just well-worn Bible storybook fare. The daughters of Zelophehad are here, Paul's winks and nudges concerning Onesimus are here, James teaching on the tongue is here, Amos' warnings against the rich are here! This is a well-rounded Bible storybook.
6. I do think typology is underemphasized throughout the OT half of the book. In a Bible Storybook written to emphasize the one storyline of Scripture, I expected more Christological interpretation. That's not to say it's entirely absent, because it's certainly not. But there were chapters where I thought a straight line to Jesus would have been easy, but DeYoung didn't draw it. Still, there's plenty of keen insight into the theology and application of every biblical passage discussed in the book.
7. This is nitpicky, but I would have liked the division of the book to more closely reflect the Bible itself. Instead of 50% OT and 50% NT I would have liked to see 70% OT and 30% NT. Maybe the book would have needed to be longer to do that. It's already 529 pages, so maybe making it bigger would have been unrealistic. I still would have liked it.
8. One more nitpick: I would have liked more continuity between stories, just to clarify things. For example, the Battle of Jericho is the only story here from Joshua. You just have to infer that the Israelites took the rest on Canaan, too. Obviously, this book is not meant to replace the Bible, but I think some of those seams could have been sewn up neater.
All in all, I'm so grateful that DeYoung and Clark did this massive project. I'm grateful to Crossway for sending me a review copy. I'm grateful that this book will serve as excellent devotional material or bedtime reading for families all over the place. I hope that God will use it for increasing biblical literacy among both children and their parents!
I love this book! I don't think it's flawless, but I think it will easily earn its place on family bookshelves.
1. The illustrations are beautiful! There were a few times when I turned a page and thought, "I would hang this picture on my wall." Seriously, gorgeous. And the print quality is top-notch.
2. On the other hand, I don't entirely know how I feel about the pictures of Jesus. On the one hand, I don't think depictions of Jesus are as clearly violating the second commandment as depictions of the divine nature (@Michaelangelo). Some say any depiction of the human Jesus is Nestorian because it implies the two natures can be separated; one could easily retort that the criticism is Eutychian because it implies the natures can't be distinguished. It's not cut-and-dry, is my point. Still, my preference is to play it safe. The book raises the question: Are highly stylized pictures of Jesus playing it safe? DeYoung states in his "Letter to Parents" that the stylized art style keeps his conscience clear. I'm still honestly on the fence.
3. The prose is plain and approachable while still being doctrinally rich. I expect as much from this author. Qualms I had with the original Biggest Story are put to rest here: The deity of Christ is emphasized in no uncertain terms.
4. I was glad to see that DeYoung (and Clark) didn't shy away from difficult thematic elements in the Bible. The book talks about murders, wars, all the people who drowned beneath Noah's ark, and the fires of Hell. With illustrations! They do sanitize sexual themes, I think wisely.
5. The breadth of what is included here is impressive. It's not just well-worn Bible storybook fare. The daughters of Zelophehad are here, Paul's winks and nudges concerning Onesimus are here, James teaching on the tongue is here, Amos' warnings against the rich are here! This is a well-rounded Bible storybook.
6. I do think typology is underemphasized throughout the OT half of the book. In a Bible Storybook written to emphasize the one storyline of Scripture, I expected more Christological interpretation. That's not to say it's entirely absent, because it's certainly not. But there were chapters where I thought a straight line to Jesus would have been easy, but DeYoung didn't draw it. Still, there's plenty of keen insight into the theology and application of every biblical passage discussed in the book.
7. This is nitpicky, but I would have liked the division of the book to more closely reflect the Bible itself. Instead of 50% OT and 50% NT I would have liked to see 70% OT and 30% NT. Maybe the book would have needed to be longer to do that. It's already 529 pages, so maybe making it bigger would have been unrealistic. I still would have liked it.
8. One more nitpick: I would have liked more continuity between stories, just to clarify things. For example, the Battle of Jericho is the only story here from Joshua. You just have to infer that the Israelites took the rest on Canaan, too. Obviously, this book is not meant to replace the Bible, but I think some of those seams could have been sewn up neater.
All in all, I'm so grateful that DeYoung and Clark did this massive project. I'm grateful to Crossway for sending me a review copy. I'm grateful that this book will serve as excellent devotional material or bedtime reading for families all over the place. I hope that God will use it for increasing biblical literacy among both children and their parents!
March 5, 2025
Read once again in 2025. Still does not get old. All three kids, who are a year older still enjoyed it.
Read again in 2024. All the items below confirmed (read to 9-10 year old, 12-13 year old and 15-16 year old) and all three loved it and learned from it
2022: This is the best children’s Bible I have ever read. So so good! In fact it is so good and clear that I would recommend it for adults as well as kids. I think I will actually give this book to new believers because it is so clear and concise and compelling. Adults should read this!! Highest recommendation
Read again in 2024. All the items below confirmed (read to 9-10 year old, 12-13 year old and 15-16 year old) and all three loved it and learned from it
2022: This is the best children’s Bible I have ever read. So so good! In fact it is so good and clear that I would recommend it for adults as well as kids. I think I will actually give this book to new believers because it is so clear and concise and compelling. Adults should read this!! Highest recommendation
September 8, 2025
Leon begs every 2 seconds to "read da Bible book" and how do you say no to this😭😭 so I've started to leave a bookmark cus might as well abandon all housework and go through the whole thing! The graphics and writing are incredible. I love how abstract the illustrations are. Leaves a lot of room for what these people/places actually looked like but they're fascinating even for a 2 year old!
May 11, 2022
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung is a book that every Christian parent should read and re-read to their children. DeYoung makes it clear that “this book is a storybook about the Bible, but it is not the Bible.” The aim of the book is to teach children the “grand, sweeping story of Scripture.” The book is arranged in seven parts:
1. The Pentateuch
2. History
3. Poetry
4. The Prophets
5. The Gospels
6. Acts and Epistles
7. Revelation
Each part contains basic narratives that help children see the big picture. Better yet, each page is beautifully illustrated by Don Clark. Clark is a gifted artist that brings biblical stories to life in a way that will keep children interested and drawn to God’s big story.
The great benefit of this book is that it opens the eyes of children to the wonder of theology and the greatness of God. It provides a basic framework for children to grasp systematic and biblical theology as they grow older. Children will discover that Christ is the focal point of Scripture - from the Garden of Eden to the New Earth.
I can’t say enough about The Biggest Story Bible Storybook. DeYoung is able to capture the essential elements in Scripture and does it in a compelling and creative way. Even though the book is designed for children, I recommend that every incoming Bible College student read this excellent book to provide a beautiful overview of God’s Word.
1. The Pentateuch
2. History
3. Poetry
4. The Prophets
5. The Gospels
6. Acts and Epistles
7. Revelation
Each part contains basic narratives that help children see the big picture. Better yet, each page is beautifully illustrated by Don Clark. Clark is a gifted artist that brings biblical stories to life in a way that will keep children interested and drawn to God’s big story.
The great benefit of this book is that it opens the eyes of children to the wonder of theology and the greatness of God. It provides a basic framework for children to grasp systematic and biblical theology as they grow older. Children will discover that Christ is the focal point of Scripture - from the Garden of Eden to the New Earth.
I can’t say enough about The Biggest Story Bible Storybook. DeYoung is able to capture the essential elements in Scripture and does it in a compelling and creative way. Even though the book is designed for children, I recommend that every incoming Bible College student read this excellent book to provide a beautiful overview of God’s Word.
June 22, 2022
This is a story about the story of the Bible, not a translation of the inerrant and sufficient Word of God. Hear me loud and clear: if you only get one, read the Bible instead of this, even to kids.
Reasons to read this book:
1. The artwork is great! I’m grateful to Don Clark for using his gifts for the edification of the Body. Young believers aren’t the future Church, they are the Church.
2. Learning how to explain Scripture to children further solidifies our own beliefs and encourages us to make the main point the main point.
3. The Spirit used this to give me so much peace. Turns out, sometimes all I need is encouragement (intended for ages 6-12) to just keep trusting the Serpent Crusher.
Reasons to read this book:
1. The artwork is great! I’m grateful to Don Clark for using his gifts for the edification of the Body. Young believers aren’t the future Church, they are the Church.
2. Learning how to explain Scripture to children further solidifies our own beliefs and encourages us to make the main point the main point.
3. The Spirit used this to give me so much peace. Turns out, sometimes all I need is encouragement (intended for ages 6-12) to just keep trusting the Serpent Crusher.
September 6, 2024
This has been anchoring our family worship over the last year or so. The illustrations are one of the best things about it—not woodenly literal, lots of vibrant color and evocative symbolism.
Other things I liked:
* a narrative approach to the Bible (individual stories connected by the unifying thread of Christ the Snake Crusher)
* short chapters (read aloud time is usually around 4-5 minutes)
* the prayers (chapters conclude with short prayers that can easily be lined and prayed together)
Things I didn’t care for:
* the lame attempts at humor (some of the jokes landed, most did not, not even as dad jokes)
* the at times heavy-handed Reformed soteriology (some verbal editing was required to protect my children from the excesses of penal substitutionary atonement)
All in all, a thoughtful, well-crafted Bible storybook—a massive improvement on most out there (past or present).
Other things I liked:
* a narrative approach to the Bible (individual stories connected by the unifying thread of Christ the Snake Crusher)
* short chapters (read aloud time is usually around 4-5 minutes)
* the prayers (chapters conclude with short prayers that can easily be lined and prayed together)
Things I didn’t care for:
* the lame attempts at humor (some of the jokes landed, most did not, not even as dad jokes)
* the at times heavy-handed Reformed soteriology (some verbal editing was required to protect my children from the excesses of penal substitutionary atonement)
All in all, a thoughtful, well-crafted Bible storybook—a massive improvement on most out there (past or present).
June 18, 2025
Finished this with my son. Very good. Oct 24.
Finished this with my son. Again, very good. March 25.
Finished this with my son. Again, very good. March 25.
January 2, 2024
This is simply the best children’s story Bible there is.
Hands down. No comparison.
The gospel is clearly and beautifully communicated throughout, and each biblical story unit is shown how it fits into the overarching gospel story of God. On top of this, the illustrations are glorious! Not only is it not desert yellow throughout the entire book (like almost any other kids Bible), it is downright stunning!
The kids absolutely loved this, and I learned a lot from it right beside them!
Hands down. No comparison.
The gospel is clearly and beautifully communicated throughout, and each biblical story unit is shown how it fits into the overarching gospel story of God. On top of this, the illustrations are glorious! Not only is it not desert yellow throughout the entire book (like almost any other kids Bible), it is downright stunning!
The kids absolutely loved this, and I learned a lot from it right beside them!
December 29, 2024
We read this as a family in 2024. Incredibly well written and beautifully illustrated.
November 1, 2023
I read this cover-to-cover with my oldest (4.5 years old). We celebrated finishing with a donut. I love DeYoung's way with words. He's both precise in telling the stories of Scripture and clever in how he tells them. The illustrations are beautiful as well; no wonder that many products are now available (curriculum, trading cards, prints) of Don Clark's work. I do wonder, however, if the art is too abstract for many kids.
March 28, 2022
How can you introduce your children to the storyline of Scripture? The Biggest Story Bible Storybook beautifully presents the grand story of the Bible.
Enjoyable and Enchanting
Written by Kevin DeYoung for children ages 6–12, the 104 short chapters retell various Bible stories and show how they fit in the big picture. The text is written in an easy-to-understand and attractive way. It was an enjoyable and enchanting experience to read through the chapters.
Don Clark’s illustrations are extraordinary. They are stylish and stunning works of art that will capture the attention and affections of your children. Every page is bursting with color, and when you take them all together you get a sense of the rich tapestry of the Biblical text.
Timeless and Modern
I appreciated the high-production quality, making it the perfect keepsake gift for special occasions and to mark significant seasons. The hardcover book includes sewn binding and a ribbon marker, giving it a timeless yet modern feel.
While reading, I saw God’s Word as wholly true and unlike any other book. It is living and active, with stories and words that God selected to shape his people. There was joy, awe, and excitement in treasuring God together with my family.
Engaging and Compelling
Each chapter ends with a simple prayer to help solidify the meaning in the hearts of your children. With vibrant illustrations and engaging text, this beautiful Bible Storybook will be a compelling read for your family. Most importantly, it will serve to show your children Christ.
I received a media copy of The Biggest Story Bible Storybook and this is my honest review.
Enjoyable and Enchanting
Written by Kevin DeYoung for children ages 6–12, the 104 short chapters retell various Bible stories and show how they fit in the big picture. The text is written in an easy-to-understand and attractive way. It was an enjoyable and enchanting experience to read through the chapters.
Don Clark’s illustrations are extraordinary. They are stylish and stunning works of art that will capture the attention and affections of your children. Every page is bursting with color, and when you take them all together you get a sense of the rich tapestry of the Biblical text.
Timeless and Modern
I appreciated the high-production quality, making it the perfect keepsake gift for special occasions and to mark significant seasons. The hardcover book includes sewn binding and a ribbon marker, giving it a timeless yet modern feel.
While reading, I saw God’s Word as wholly true and unlike any other book. It is living and active, with stories and words that God selected to shape his people. There was joy, awe, and excitement in treasuring God together with my family.
Engaging and Compelling
Each chapter ends with a simple prayer to help solidify the meaning in the hearts of your children. With vibrant illustrations and engaging text, this beautiful Bible Storybook will be a compelling read for your family. Most importantly, it will serve to show your children Christ.
I received a media copy of The Biggest Story Bible Storybook and this is my honest review.
January 20, 2025
Have a baby, then read this.
You are welcome.
You are welcome.
June 19, 2025
A book that makes me long for the snake crusher to come and defeat death once and for all. This storybook bible blessed me in many ways.
November 20, 2024
A gripping retelling of the Bible's great story of redemption.
Comprehensible and exciting for children.
Challenging and riveting for adults.
Beautifully illustrated!
Comprehensible and exciting for children.
Challenging and riveting for adults.
Beautifully illustrated!
July 5, 2025
Solid Bible Storybook. I enjoyed reading it to my kid and will read it to her again when she’s older. I loved the aesthetic, too.
April 23, 2025
I enjoyed reading this to Owen each morning over the past months. Overall I think it does a fantastic job retelling both common and uncommon Bible stories in an easy-to-understand and often surprisingly profound way. I knocked off a star because here and there the author makes a silly comment or application like he’s trying to engage with the kids, but I felt like most of the time these asides actually detract from the meaning of the story and sometimes border on irreverence. Just my hot take. But I was impressed with it overall.
October 31, 2024
An instant favorite, the day I got this in the mail my girls (ages 3 and 4) wouldn’t let me stop reading it. We immediately read 4 chapters and then more at bedtime. I love the prayers at the end to help establish a rhythm of prayer in our day to day. Additionally, the design and illustrations are gorgeous, as an artist I appreciate and recognize the exorbitant amount of hours that went into designing such a masterpiece. I one day hope to have the curriculum in our home as well 👏🏼
May 14, 2023
Excellent kids Bible story book
September 25, 2024
Really good children's Bible adaptation.
September 12, 2022
By far the best children’s Bible storybook I’ve ever encountered: beautiful, thorough, scriptural, and thoroughly encouraging as I read it with my boys. DeYoung doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of the story, nor does he sanitize and soften the sinfulness of sin and the weight of God’s wrath, but the gospel shines gloriously in these pages.
April 22, 2023
The best story Bible on the market currently.
December 24, 2025
"The Biggest Story Bible Storybook" deserves a lot of praise and recognition. It's artwork is beautiful the entire way through and DeYoung does a great job in piecing and connecting the grand narrative of the Bible in such a way that is coherent. A fantastic interpretation of Scripture. (I also appreciate the anecdote at the beginning of the book to remind readers that this book shold not be supplemental of routine Scripture reading.)
Okay - now my review and criticism of the book is divided into two parts: 1) The Artwork and 2) the writing of the Biggest Story.
The artwork is stunning and gorgeous. I'd give it a 6/5. From a personal persepctive, it's just my kind of style. Don Clark and the team over at Invisible Creature hit it out of the park. Bright colors, rich imagery, and so much detail. My only complaint is that the book isn't available on digital...because I would love to use the artwork for so many different illustrations. Just fantastic.
The writing of the Biggest Story is DeYoung's telling of the Bible. Now, at first, you might say, "Well, duh?" But listen, DeYoung has a style of storytelling, like we all do. But his style trickles sub-thoughts throughout the text. Published by Crossway, you have to understand that the book does take a couple of subtle stances on certain interpretations, because each of the stories highlighted are intended to explain the 'why' it's included in the Bible. Not that it justify's it's existence in our canon, but more like, "Here's what we can take away from it." (Which I appreciate...!) So, just know that some of the stories might not align with your thoughts. For instance, in the story of the "Daughters of Zelophehad' from Numbers 27;36 (which, to their credit, I appreciate the inclusion of it in the book), DeYoung says, "Most people don't know this little story in the biggest Story." It's kind of confusing and has a lot of strange names (including a Noah who is a girl instead of boy!)." My question is like, "Why include that little anecdote? Is it at the risk to make it sound personal?" Genuinely not sure.
While I'm being critical, it's because I wanted this book to be something timeless that I can revisit with my children and even my own personal devotional times. The artwork is just stunning through-and-through. I would not recommend this for little kids either. Like, there is an image of a headless John the Baptist front and center on one page. Kind of some scary stuff there.
Great rendition and way to discover the Scriptures!
Okay - now my review and criticism of the book is divided into two parts: 1) The Artwork and 2) the writing of the Biggest Story.
The artwork is stunning and gorgeous. I'd give it a 6/5. From a personal persepctive, it's just my kind of style. Don Clark and the team over at Invisible Creature hit it out of the park. Bright colors, rich imagery, and so much detail. My only complaint is that the book isn't available on digital...because I would love to use the artwork for so many different illustrations. Just fantastic.
The writing of the Biggest Story is DeYoung's telling of the Bible. Now, at first, you might say, "Well, duh?" But listen, DeYoung has a style of storytelling, like we all do. But his style trickles sub-thoughts throughout the text. Published by Crossway, you have to understand that the book does take a couple of subtle stances on certain interpretations, because each of the stories highlighted are intended to explain the 'why' it's included in the Bible. Not that it justify's it's existence in our canon, but more like, "Here's what we can take away from it." (Which I appreciate...!) So, just know that some of the stories might not align with your thoughts. For instance, in the story of the "Daughters of Zelophehad' from Numbers 27;36 (which, to their credit, I appreciate the inclusion of it in the book), DeYoung says, "Most people don't know this little story in the biggest Story." It's kind of confusing and has a lot of strange names (including a Noah who is a girl instead of boy!)." My question is like, "Why include that little anecdote? Is it at the risk to make it sound personal?" Genuinely not sure.
While I'm being critical, it's because I wanted this book to be something timeless that I can revisit with my children and even my own personal devotional times. The artwork is just stunning through-and-through. I would not recommend this for little kids either. Like, there is an image of a headless John the Baptist front and center on one page. Kind of some scary stuff there.
Great rendition and way to discover the Scriptures!
April 8, 2022
The Biggest Story Bible Story by Kevin DeYoung and illustrated by Don Clark is what it says it is: a big book of the major stories of the Bible – with an emphasis on how the Bible is one story.
DeYoung writes the Bible story on an older elementary school level, though younger children can understand it being read to them with some help. The illustrations by Clark are attractive and appropriate to the text.
The pros of this book are both showing that the Bible is, indeed, one story, and putting it on a language level that younger children can understand better than many translations of the Bible.
The caveats about this book – not necessarily cons – are: (For those who believe the Second Commandment forbids pictures of Jesus) there are pictures of Jesus. Second, this would be considered a paraphrase and errors are more likely in paraphrases than in translations. Third, and most importantly, if you use this book, also make sure that you read and introduce children to the actual text of the Bible – reading it to them, explaining it to them, and having them read it as early as possible. You, as the adult, can explain and answer questions about the actual text.
Thus, this can be a useful book – when used carefully.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].
DeYoung writes the Bible story on an older elementary school level, though younger children can understand it being read to them with some help. The illustrations by Clark are attractive and appropriate to the text.
The pros of this book are both showing that the Bible is, indeed, one story, and putting it on a language level that younger children can understand better than many translations of the Bible.
The caveats about this book – not necessarily cons – are: (For those who believe the Second Commandment forbids pictures of Jesus) there are pictures of Jesus. Second, this would be considered a paraphrase and errors are more likely in paraphrases than in translations. Third, and most importantly, if you use this book, also make sure that you read and introduce children to the actual text of the Bible – reading it to them, explaining it to them, and having them read it as early as possible. You, as the adult, can explain and answer questions about the actual text.
Thus, this can be a useful book – when used carefully.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].
December 20, 2022
I am so thankful for this resource. It's wonderfully written for children, it's chock-full of vibrant symbolic illustrations, and each reading concludes with a prayer that models devotion and application. Most wonderfully of all, the author succeeds where most kids' material falls short - he takes seriously both the child and the text.
I'd say this work sets the standard for doing biblical theology.
I'd say this work sets the standard for doing biblical theology.
May 21, 2023
Reading this storybook cover to cover with Madi was such a beautiful start to the year. The readings lined up almost perfectly so that Holy Week’s stories happened on Holy Week - and it was a great way to reflect in an age-appropriate way for Madi. I especially love the prayer prompts at the end of each story and the fact that all genres of texts from the Bible were included - not just your typical Sunday school stories. Illustrations are excellent and eye-catching. Stories are brief yet purposeful and memorable. Really really excellent. Can’t wait to start our reread!
May 29, 2025
Overall, DeYoung's presentation of gospel truths from all of Scripture is excellent. The illustrations are great as well, but I'm not in favor of the inclusion of "artistically stylized" images of Jesus. The version without images may be just as helpful for young children (possibly even less distracting, depending on the child?) for instruction or for family worship. Nonetheless, this is a great resource that summarizes Bible stories for children far better than mainstream attempts that have no regard for orthodoxy.
October 21, 2025
Not a fan of this one.
I loved the idea and was excited to read through this with my children. But from the convoluted sentence structures to the disturbing illustrations, this book is not kid-friendly. At all.
On the sentence structures: reading this aloud to my children, I had to rework nearly half of the content to make the phrasing and sentences make sense. Here's an example from the start of a chapter (try reading it out loud):
“Have you ever noticed in the Bible that God's people get in trouble when they think they are strong, but that God is strong for His people when they know they are in trouble?”
Was there an editor for this? No young child is able to follow that sentence. There were way too many attempts at clever phrasing that just ended up as clunky and confusing.
Additionally, while I like that this book tackles difficult topics and events from the Bible, I don't feel that it always addressed them very tactfully for young readers.
Finally, although some of the illustrations are quite beautiful, we also have such delightful entries as:
- Israelites screaming while being incinerated
- John the Baptist's severed head
- Satan being cast into hell
- Flaming demons possessing a man
Who approved these???? I don't want my kids flipping through the book and seeing these pictures. Nightmare fuel.
I've heard good things about Kevin DeYoung, but this does not appear to be his best work. I would have guessed that the author does not have much experience communicating to children, but the bio says he has kids, so...not sure.
I loved the idea and was excited to read through this with my children. But from the convoluted sentence structures to the disturbing illustrations, this book is not kid-friendly. At all.
On the sentence structures: reading this aloud to my children, I had to rework nearly half of the content to make the phrasing and sentences make sense. Here's an example from the start of a chapter (try reading it out loud):
“Have you ever noticed in the Bible that God's people get in trouble when they think they are strong, but that God is strong for His people when they know they are in trouble?”
Was there an editor for this? No young child is able to follow that sentence. There were way too many attempts at clever phrasing that just ended up as clunky and confusing.
Additionally, while I like that this book tackles difficult topics and events from the Bible, I don't feel that it always addressed them very tactfully for young readers.
Finally, although some of the illustrations are quite beautiful, we also have such delightful entries as:
- Israelites screaming while being incinerated
- John the Baptist's severed head
- Satan being cast into hell
- Flaming demons possessing a man
Who approved these???? I don't want my kids flipping through the book and seeing these pictures. Nightmare fuel.
I've heard good things about Kevin DeYoung, but this does not appear to be his best work. I would have guessed that the author does not have much experience communicating to children, but the bio says he has kids, so...not sure.
January 26, 2023
This is a beautiful book. Kevin DeYoung does not just include the top 20 Bible stories for children but goes through the whole Bible making it understandable for the whole family. He traces the thread that makes God’s Word THE Biggest Story.
“That’s our hope. That’s our confidence. The Snake Crusher will return. He will be our joy, and we will be his delight.”
I read to my children at lunch.
“That’s our hope. That’s our confidence. The Snake Crusher will return. He will be our joy, and we will be his delight.”
I read to my children at lunch.
January 26, 2023
Just finished reading through this to Lucia before bed over the last several months. She doesn't comprehend any of it yet, but we'll go through it again. It's a a great storybook Bible, very well written, split into good size chunks and maintaining a good narrative thread all the way through.
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