The Children's Illustrated Bible

• Ages 8 and older

A smaller, fatter version of Selina Hastings's outstanding edition of The Children's Illustrated Bible, this child-size volume is just right for the beginning Bible student. Hastings retells the stories of the Old and New Testaments in a lucid, flowing style for children's enjoyment and edification.

Hastings consulted with a cadre of educators, scholars, and religious advisors to retain the original feel and poetry of the Bible, while appealing to contemporary young readers with clear, lively language. The somewhat lackluster illustrations on every page are not nearly as compelling as the stories themselves, but the variety of other artwork, including maps and color photographs of artifacts, plants, biblical places, animals, people, and architecture, makes up for any deficit there.

All the best-known parables and teachings are here, including "The Golden Calf," "Sodom and Gomorrah," "The Garden of Eden," "Jesus Walks on the Water," The Parable of the Talents," and "The Crucifixion," among many others. This volume also includes a "Who's Who in the Bible Stories" as well as quotations from the King James Bible, identified by chapter and verse. Hastings has written several other collections of Bible stories, including The Birth of Jesus and The Miracles of Jesus. (Ages 8 and older)