The new Sparkle & Change International
Children’s Bible from Tommy Nelson, an imprint of Thomas Nelson publishers, is
sure to be a hit with little girls everywhere! The sequins attached to a
variety of objects which children can rub in various directions to change their
appearance is a highlight, front and centre, on the cover of this Bible and I
know that many girls would be thrilled to own this. I love that the picture in
the sequins is a heart – indicating, subtly, that the words contained in this
book are directed at the heart and can change a person’s heart!
The Bible itself is a great tool for
children. It features a Timeline, key verse highlights (an index of verses that
specifically deal with a certain thought/concept), an easy to understand Bible
dictionary, a list of the names of God throughout Scripture, a list of the
miracles of Jesus, a list of the 12 disciples, a list of kids mentioned in the
Bible, and easy to read maps! These features make it a great study resource for
Sunday School lessons or other Bible lessons!
The text itself it not too large but not
very small either – just a perfect size font for young children who are
beginning to read! Throughout the text, there are feature pages which include
topics such as: “How Do I Know Jesus Loves Me?”, “Knowing Jesus Better”, “How
Do I Pray?”, and “How Do I Forgive?” just to name a few.
Comparing the translation with a couple
common translations (ESV, NIV), it appears to be a faithful translation of the
text. The danger in making a Bible for children is to “dumb down” the text in a
way that over simplifies it and really causes the meaning to be lost (and
sometimes changed completely). However, that is not the case with the ICB. It
uses language that a child can understand. But it also uses language/vocabulary
that will challenge a child to learn. Where something may not be fully
understood, it puts the word in bold (such as the word “chaff” in Psalm 1 or
“Word” in John 1) and references the Bible dictionary provided at the back or
provides a footnote to explain the word or concept. In this way, the
translation itself teaches a child HOW to study the Bible, making Bible study
an enjoyable and enriching experience, which is something we definitely want
for our children!
This is a Bible translation and a Bible I
would recommend to all parents of young children! The publisher provides a
recommended age of 6-10. I would agree with this for children who are reading
on their own but I would also recommend this Bible as a read-aloud translation
to younger children. I also believe it would be enjoyable and beneficial to
pre-teen girls. It is certainly a translation that will get them in the word
and help them to understand God’s word better! What a beautiful gift this can
be!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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