Notable Books

The late Ken Taylor, creator of the Living Bible paraphrase, originally published this book in 1996. Reissued with new illustrations, this “systematic theology for toddlers” has 82 readings divided into 10 sections—an introduction to the Bible, God’s attributes, the problem of sin, Jesus and His work, the Holy Spirit, the church, and more. He writes in warm and simple language preschoolers can understand. Each chapter includes one question the child will be able to answer if she’s paying attention. The theology is sound, though parents may want to clarify their thoughts on angels and when God conceived the plan of redemption.

God’s Word

This is the sixth volume in Michael’s Making Him Known series of family devotional books. Its 26 chapters use Bible stories and real-life illustrations, first to set forth Scripture as the unique, authoritative Word of God, then to explore its message, and then to explain its relevance for today’s readers. Each chapter ends with an application activity and two Scripture references, one to observe and one to apply. As the series title suggests, the focus is on knowing God, rather than self-improvement: “The greatest message of the Bible is the message of who God is.”

ESV Following Jesus Bible

Recently, publishers have shown renewed attention to the obvious fact that the Bible is all about Jesus. This children’s edition of the ESV includes many standard features: maps, glossary, and Who-What-Why questions scattered throughout the text, but it also has “Seeing Jesus” and “Following Jesus” features that point out the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament and make personal applications to the reader. These are insightful and appropriate to the 8-12 age level, as are the “articles” (e.g., “What Is the Law?” “What Is the Gospel?”) that consist of one paragraph and related Scripture references.

The Action Bible Study Bible, ESV

The phenomenally successful Action Bible (actually a storybook), which debuted in 2010, has generated a franchise. The latest is the complete ESV text, featuring full-color glossy inserts with new illustrations by Sergio Cariello. Attractive book introductions provide a summary of each book’s content and how it fits in the master narrative. Illustrated text features include challenging questions, riddles, and devotional and application notes. As in most children’s Bibles, parents may disagree with some of the applications and pictorial portrayals, but The Action Bible may be a good way to move fourth- or fifth-graders (especially boys) from storybooks to Scripture.

Spotlight

All the time he was growing up, Ben Carson’s mother would tell him, “You have a brain.” This was her all-purpose answer when he was struggling with a problem or headed toward trouble because he hadn’t used the mental apparatus God gave him. Over time young Ben learned to use his brain to become a world-famous neurosurgeon and candidate for president. In You Have a Brain: A Teen’s Guide to Think Big (Zondervan, 2015), Carson adapts his THINK BIG strategy (Talent, Honesty, Insight, being Nice, Knowledge, Books, In-depth learning, and God) to teens who are—or should be—beginning to set long-term goals. After recounting the highlights of his ghetto-to-gold story, Carson delves into each letter of the acronym, sharing further life experiences and nuggets of hard-won wisdom. Teens looking for a deeper relationship with God won’t necessarily find it here, as the advice is more practical than devotional, but it’s common sense they would do well to heed. —J.C.