If you’re looking for an illustrated family Bible story book, especially with elementary school children, I would warmly recommend Starr Meade’s new book, The Mighty Acts of God. I’ve been using it with my kids and they really like it. It’s a great complement to the Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Story Bible. Those two are outstanding on biblical theology, but this is the best in terms of capturing the details of the individual stories and their God-centered point.
I neglected to mention this earlier in the week when WTS Books was having a sale, but they’ve agreed to extend it for Between Two Worlds readers until Saturday (Feb. 6). Use the coupon code B2WMEADE. Enter it in the first screen of the checkout process. Crossway is starting the book off with an introductory price of $19.99, and this coupon would give you 40% off, so it’d be $11.99. The coupon expires Saturday night, and won’t work on Sunday (just like a good Presbyterian . . . ).
You can read online select chapters and the note for parents. Starr Meade explains what she’s trying to accomplish:
Mighty Acts of God was written with elementary school-age children in mind. The stories are told in chronological order to demonstrate the unfolding revelation God gave of himself, of his saving purposes, and of his covenant. Important doctrinal teachings of historic Reformed Christianity are introduced or reinforced in these stories. Summary statements of these doctrines appear in the text in colored type to be easily seen. Similarly, words or theological terms that might be unfamiliar to children appear in bold. At the beginning of each story is a key verse—a Bible verse from the story or from elsewhere in Scripture, clearly stating one of the important truths seen in the narrative. A short separate feature called “As for Me and My House” follows each story, providing parents with additional ideas for discussion or activities related to the truths presented in that particular story.
And here are a couple of reviews from the WTSBooks staff:
“A commitment to God-centered interpretation, an eye for the redemptive-historical unity of the Scriptures, and superb story-telling skills combine to make this new Bible storybook outstanding. No trite moralisms here; the focus throughout is on God — who he is and what he has done. For elementary school-age children, this is now at the top of my list for Bible storybooks. Starr Meade’s Note for Parents is well worth reading to get a sense of what she is doing in this book.”
– Jim Weidenaar, WTSBooks Staff“Perfectly suited to follow the Jesus Storybook Bible, Mighty Acts of God goes beyond a simple re-telling of God’s redemptive plan for His people. Mrs. Meade weaves solid teaching throughout, explaining concepts like covenant, glory, and regeneration in developmentally appropriate language. The notes for families that accompany each story helpfully point to ways to expand children’s understanding of the content, and make this an ideal book for family devotions, particularly for children ages five and up.”
– Janice Mason, WTSBooks Staff
