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REVIEW (and a Give-Away): The Action Bible

Buy The Action Bible. I cannot be any more clear about this.

This advice is coming from a guy who typically does not like storybook Bibles. And I've already recommended this one here and here. If you don't have one, or if you know a child who needs one, buy a copy.

Boys will be enamored with the graphic novel format and (as the title implies) the fast-paced action. And most girls will enjoy it as well, for the sake of the stories themselves.

I love it because of it's maturity, compared to most storybook Bibles. Editor Doug Mauss included a breadth of topics (over 200 accounts from God's word) and illustrator Sergio Cariello should be praised for his life-like drawings (I detest when mid-Eastern characters look more like Anglo-Saxons).

More Resources

Publisher David C. Cook has now released three new books as companions to The Action Bible. I was sent a copy of each to review. (And one to give away, but more on that below.)

The Action Bible New Testament contains 67 stories from the New Testament. However, these are not new stories; the same ones are found in the original. It's like the "Gideon's Bible" of The Action Bible. For the little bit extra of a cost, just by The Action Bible, not this NT-only version.

If there is anything I'm more leery of than a Bible storybook it is a devotional Bible. I've used devotionals, and have enjoyed them to an extent, but I find that most of them to lean on the side of "moralism" -- leading the reader to think that Christianity is about doing some good deeds. The Action Bible Devotional is no exception. It's not a bad tool, as long as you are diligent to teach your child that following Jesus and knowing Him is not about good deeds and spiritual disciplines.

The Action Bible Handbook is an interesting book. It is a "dictionary of people, places, and things." I like resources like this (I used to read encyclopedias as a kid), and use Bible handbooks when I have done inductive Bible study. I'm not sure how interested most children will be in this book, but it could be a handy tool to begin to teach children how to study the Bible in depth. However, some of the commentary is dubious; for example, Passover is called the "most important feast," and that section explains that death (instead of the angel of death) passed over the homes.

One for You. And you?

I bought our family's copy of The Action Bible over two years ago, and the only thing I regret is not purchasing one earlier. But there is good new for you.

The publishing company will give away a copy of The Action Bible to one of the readers of this blog. And I have double good news. Since I already have one, I will also give away the copy they just sent me. We will have 2 winners!

Here's the deal:
  • I will give away one copy of The Action Bible to someone in the Allendale (SC) area, and another copy will be mailed to a winner who lives somewhere else.
  • To have a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog. Be sure that I have your name / contact info. (You can let me know through any method on my Contact page.) And if you are having trouble leaving a comment (oh, Blogger), contact me.
  • You can earn a bonus chance to win if you share this post on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc). After you shared it, just leave another comment telling me how you shared it.

The contest ends at noon (EST) on Wednesday, March 27.
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9 comments:

  1. JimmyMarch 26, 2013 at 11:50 AM

    Joey, I second your recommendation on getting The Action Bible. I had avoided it for similar reasons as you, but picked up a copy of it for the kids this Christmas. We absolutely cannot keep Caleb and Micah from reading it. They have their noses in it ALL THE TIME. Rachel and Josh also enjoy it (and they are teen/preteen). This is an incredible resource for getting our kids immersed into the Bible.

    We are going through inductive bible study methods in our community group, and I used the Action Bible as an example of a creative Bible study tool to give you a different perspective/view of a given passage - kind of like reading a couple different translations can give you subtle nuances to original languages and help provide a more full view of the Word. A couple of the guys in our group who don't have kids may be buying one for themselves just because of the high quality of the artwork and the visual perspective it adds to Bible study.

    One precaution I would give, though, is that without intentional guidance of our kids, this could also create the unintended effect of relegating biblical stories to the same lavel as comic books or cartoons. I haven't seen that yet in our kids, but am just mentioning it as a possible effect of giving this resource to the kids without it being a part of a larger ongoing discussion of our faith and the higher regard scripture must have in our hearts.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 1:14 PM

    JJ would really like a copy of this.

    -- Mollie P

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  3. RobMarch 26, 2013 at 8:09 PM

    Sounds like a good intro Bible. Sign me up!

    Rob

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  4. AnonymousMarch 26, 2013 at 9:57 PM

    May need to add this to the Birthday/Christmas list. Thanks for the recommendation Joey!

    Kenneth

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  5. buckMarch 27, 2013 at 7:46 AM

    As Katie put on Facebook, we have one, by your recommendation. Our son and daughters have loved it. I grew up with comic books, and wish we had this growing up! It is a worthwhile buy not only for your kids, but for you too!

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  6. AnonymousMarch 27, 2013 at 8:29 AM

    I'd like a copy.

    -- Emily M

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  7. AnonymousMarch 27, 2013 at 8:30 AM

    Shared on FB.

    -- Mollie P

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  8. AnonymousMarch 27, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    Shared on FB.

    -- Emily M

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  9. Mr. FrankMarch 27, 2013 at 9:10 PM

    Count me in the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete