BRICK BUILDERS Illustrated Bible Review & Giveaway

Zonderkidz sent me the BRICK BUILDERS Illustrated Bible to review and give away to one of my blog readers. It will not hit the store shelves until December, so you could win a copy before everyone else gets one!

Apparently, faith-based brick-building books are hot items. NIrV Faith Builders Bible and Building Faith Brick by Brick: An Imaginative Way to Explore the Bible with Children are two more examples.

However, today, we’re reviewing the BRICK BUILDERS Illustrated Bible. In its 224 pages, it retells thirty-five stories from the Bible.

At the end of each story, there is a “Building Block” section with a two- or three-sentence summary. This is followed by a call-to-action.

Did God Really Say

Actual text from the Bible is not used. The author paraphrases the stories for a younger audience. My only hesitation with this book is the retelling of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. The chapter is titled “The Juicy Red Fruit.”

The author writes,

“God told Adam and Eve they could enjoy everything and eat anything in the garden except the juicy red fruit that grew from the Tree of Knowledge. But Eve did not listen to God.”

The book is advertised for ages 6 – 10, who are old enough to know if that’s what God really said. It’s one thing for the illustrator to guess at what the fruit’s color may have been. But it’s a different thing to state, “God said…”

Most will think this is trivial, but I think we must take the utmost care of what we say God says, especially in nonfiction books.

The other stories in this book are also paraphrased, but they stay closely aligned with the text of the Holy Bible. The stories mention sin, our need for God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, His love, crucifixion, resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and more.

The Illustrations

The illustrator of the BRICK BUILDERS Illustrated Bible does a superb job making the building bricks and people figures appear multi-dimensional.

Children will enjoy the bright colors in the full-color illustrations on every page. Some of the same people figures are used repeatedly in crowd scenes, but young children will not mind.

Interestingly, most of the men are wearing pants instead of robes. I find it a little humorous how Jesus is always wearing his white pantsuit and looking a great deal like Tony Orlando! I know you’re wishing I had posted a photo of Jesus, but you’ll have to get the book and check it out yourself!

In addition, the computer graphics use various colors, shadows, and textures that make the pictures interesting.

You may wonder if the toy figures are too stiff to tell a story. The characters’ bodies may have limited motion, but the illustrator conveys a lot through facial expressions. Another thing to note is the inclusion of various skin tones.

Wrap- Up and Giveaway

Aside from the embellishment in the Garden of Eden story, I like this book.

I believe we can use all Bible storybooks as an educational tool. If your children are old enough, ask them to compare the story they’re reading to the corresponding passage in a complete version of the Holy Bible. That’s a good habit to instill no matter what faith-based book we read.

Kids who get a kick out of building bricks will enjoy the BRICK BUILDERS Illustrated Bible.

If you would like your name in the drawing to win this book, leave a comment below. I’ll put all commenters’ names in a hat and draw a winner on November 25, 2018.

One idea for the comments section: What was one of your favorite Bible stories as a child? What about it appealed to you?

I remember repeatedly asking my mother to read to me the story of King Solomon determining which woman was the true mother of an infant. I don’t know what drew me more to that story — the wisdom of Solomon or the great, sacrificial love of the mother.

(The publisher sent me this book for my honest review.)

Congratulations, Heather D. of Indiana! You won the book! I’ll be in touch soon to find out where I should mail it.

(I was delighted when Heather messaged me about how excited her daughter was about the book. She said I could share this precious photo with you!)

As a freelance writer, Sally Matheny’s writing is published in worldwide, national, regional, online and print publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse. As a blogger and speaker, Sally encourages parents and grandparents to live victorious and to  tell the next generation wondrous things. Connect with her on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.