Book Review: Adventure Bible Storybook Deluxe Edition

One of the best/worst things we did when we got a new car before Junior was born was installing a DVD player. Seriously, I love that thing. It's the only time Stinker is mildly quiet during the day. On the other hand, she's so enthralled with watching Wild Kratts that she doesn't want anything to do with human interaction in the car. Again, sometimes that's a good thing and it affords me a little peace and quiet, but there are other times I wish she weren't so quick to press the power button as soon as I start the engine.

I knew that the Adventure Bible Storybook Deluxe Edition was a good find when Stinker kept the DVD player off for an entire week during every car ride, because she wanted to listen to the Bible stories instead. This set comes with a beautifully illustrated storybook Bible, and two CDs containing the 50 stories that are told in the hardcover book.

We enjoy the illustrations, and how easy the stories are for little ones to understand (I'd put this at about the 3-8 year old range), but the audio CDs are easily my favorite part of the set. The stories are told using a variety of voices and sound effects, and keep Stinker occupied during our car rides. (Junior probably would enjoy them as well, but he's too busy ripping his "ears" off in his seat, so his car rides are often silent.)

There was just one minor thing I wasn't too fond of. In the storybook, some of the settings and details aren't necessarily Biblically based, rather a creative effort. (Example, describing a group of children playing tag while Jesus watched, in the story where the little children were brought to him.) It doesn't defy anything in the Bible or come up with unbiblical ideas, it's just something I noticed.

Stinker really enjoys this set, brings her Bible Storybook to bed every night, listens to the CDs, and even wrote a sign that says "God Loves Me" to put on our car window so passerby's would be encouraged. It's a fun little introduction to the Bible and for children to gain a basic understanding of some of the most well-known Bible stories, but it shouldn't be used in place of a Bible.

*Thank you to BookSneeze for providing me a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions and ideas are my own, and have not been swayed in any way.