Children of God Storybook Bible

By: Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0310719120
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: May 2011

In this truly lovely children’s Bible, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has selected 56 of his favorite stories from the Bible to share with young readers.

Starting at the beginning, with “The Creation” (Genesis I) and going all the way to “The Promise of a New Earth” (Revelation 21-22), this Bible offers a wonderful selection of stories to entice youngsters. There are the popular tales that appear in most children's Bibles: Noah’s Ark, The Ten Commandments, and Jesus Feeds the Crowd, as well as some that are less frequently told such as Naboth’s Vineyard and Jeremiah the Boy Prophet. While some of the stories may not be recognizable by the titles Archbishop Tutu has given them here, for example, “Jesus Teaches the Secret of Happiness” is known as “The Beatitudes” by most readers, all are well-written and engaging.

Each story is just one or two pages long, and along with its accompanying illustration, occupies a two-page spread in this 128 page book. At the end of each tale is a short, one line prayer that relates something from the story; “Dear God, help me to speak with your wisdom” and “Dear God, help me to be a blessing to others,” are a few examples. A perfect bedtime book, it’s easy to flip through the pages to find two or three stories for each night’s reading, going back and forth between the New and Old Testaments.

Archbishop Tutu wanted this book to be a global Bible, for children the world over, so he invited twenty illustrators from around the World to add their interpretations of the stories. Their illustrations represent not just their vision of the stories, but adds the flavor of their various cultures, making this a truly international Bible. While Jesus may not look the same in each story, the changes in his appearance offer a good starting point for a discussion of Christ’s followers from around the World. The illustrations are without an exception, bright and engaging and the changing styles keep the book fresh and interesting.

Quill says: This children’s Bible is sure to be a favorite for young readers who will read the stories over and over until they’ve memorized the tales and the book’s pages are ragged.