Read Aloud Bible Stories Vol. 1
A picture book by Ella K. Lindvall
Illustrated by J. Kent Puckett
Moody Publishers, 1982
Level: any
158 pages
found: recommended by a friend
The Hold Medallion Book Award
A C.S. Lewis Honor Book
This collection of Bible stories was recommended to me by good friends and church Vicar. It is often a challenge to find versions of Bible stories which maintain the integrity of the parable while remaining appealing to children. This collection includes: The Man Who Was Too Little, The Man Who Couldn’t See, The Boys and Girls and Jesus, The Wind That Obeyed, and The Man Who Said, “Thank You.” These stories are particularly good for reading aloud because the language is simple and child-friendly (mommies and daddies) and uses many onomatopoeias (splash, splash! Step… step… step…) which helps to engage children in the story.
The objective of a parable is to bring the presence of God down to the people on earth, and then return back up beyond human reach. In this way, children can begin to comprehend a vast presence within their own small worlds.
In addition to the wonderfully descriptive language, I especially enjoy the simple watercolor marker illustrations. They are the type of drawings that children could make themselves and I think that really appeals to them.
This collection of stories is particularly for groups of fidgety children. I would have them organize a production of one of the stories. They must designate a director, the cast of characters, set a scene of props, and act out the storyline.
