Containing forty-six Bible stories from creation to Revelation with beautiful, rich, and vibrant artwork, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures and discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation - and at the center of their story, too.
Author Sally Lloyd-Jones was born in Uganda and raised in several different parts of Africa. She worked in children's publishing for serveral years but now writes full time. Sally resides in Manhattan and has been a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) for over ten years. Sally's web site.
Illustrator Jago is an accomplished illustrator with several prestigious awards to his credit, including a Macmillian "Highly Commended" Award for Children’s Illustration in 2003, an AOI Silver Award in 2004, and the National Literacy Association Wow! Award. Jago lives in Cornwall, England, with his wife and daughter.
Note: This book contains cartoon or artistic images of Jesus. (Why this note?)
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"I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian--from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God's revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning--a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned." -Rev. Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York
"Sally Lloyd-Jones, a Redeemer [PCA, New York] member for many years, has done a
wondrous thing. She has captured the plot line of redemption in a children's
story Bible that sings the praise of Jesus and his saving grace on every page,
in every story." -Kathy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York Read all of Kathy Keller's review
"In the interests of full disclosure, let me reveal that I had the privilege of reading the manuscript of this book several years ago as a theological consultant to Zondervan, the publisher. I did not know, however, of the fulsome thanks to my husband Tim in the acknowledgments until I received my review copy a few days ago. Sally Lloyd-Jones, a Redeemer member for many years, has done a wondrous thing. She has captured the plot line of redemption in a children's story Bible that sings the praise of Jesus and his saving grace on every page, in every story. Most children's books of Bible stories are little more than a Christianized version of Aesop's fables, or at best, a Christian adventure cartoon. But Sally goes out of her way in the first pages of the book to reclaim the true story of the Bible: not a book of rules, nor a book of heroes, but: “The Bible is most of all a Story…It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is--it's true! There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.” This is heady theology, often missed in adult preaching and teaching, but fully realized in an age appropriate and attractive form that will delight children and often (at least for me) leave the grown up reader in tears. More wondrously, she has avoided the moralism and legalism that so often characterizes Christian educational materials for children. For five years I worked as an editor of children's curriculum, requiring me to review, edit, and sometimes write Sunday school material for children. It is very hard to find (or even produce) material for children that doesn't essentially contain the message “Be good, so that God, your heavenly Father, will love you, and your earthly parents will be happy with you, too.” To discover The Jesus Storybook Bible is to have a unique resource for communicating the gospel to children in all it's fullness. I hope that every family, and even people without young children, would get a copy of this book just to remind them of what the Real Story of the Bible is all about." - Kathy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, New York
"All too often, children's Bible storybooks isolate individual biblical stories from the message of the Scriptures. Children then learn "Bible stories" much like they learn Aesops' fables—entertaining stories about what people should and shouldn't do. The Jesus Storybook Bible is a wonderful exception to this trend. Sally Lloyd-Jones tells the stories of the Bible in a way that seeks to be exegetically faithful to the text while directing children to what adults would call the redemptive-historical meaning; the whole Bible tells the history of God's purpose to redeem his people through the savior. Bible stories learned this way do what God intended them to do—they lead people to know and believe the gospel of Jesus. Perhaps the greatest value of this book is how it can train parents (and anyone in a position of teaching) to teach the Scriptures rightly to their children." -Jim Weidenaar, Westminster Bookstore Staff, February 2007
“Although there are thousands of children books available for sale, few portray so excellently the Christian worldview.
This book does not feature the idealized, Sunday-School depictions typical of most “Christian” children’s books. The illustrations are made in a style that kids can relate to, having an almost childlike nature themselves. While simple at first glance, their unique appearance and clever humor will reward the careful viewer. Lots of material for discussion!
Of course, it is the writing that sets it apart, which is fitting, because the Bible, as God's Word, was given in a way that can be read, studied, and remembered. Just as God's message can be understood by the youngest of hearers, yet remain unexhausted by the wisest of minds, this little book will teach both children and their parents God's story of redemption.
What is truly special about this book is how each story points to Jesus Christ, the Savior. Better than any other children’s book I know of, this book shows the scope of God's plan as found throughout the whole of the Bible, instead of isolating stories from Redemptive-History.
For example, at the end of the Tower of Babel story, author Sally Lloyd-Jones foreshadows the coming if Christ as a Savior by describing how man can never reach up to heaven on his own: ". . . he didn't need a staircase, but a Rescuer . . . People could never reach up to Heaven, so Heaven would have to come down to them. And, one day, it would."
Even young children can begin to understand the beauty of God's redemptive-plan, and start to see how their own lives are part of His story.” - Micah Bickford, WTS Bookstore Staff
It is so hard to find a children's Bible today where God is truly the hero and central character. For whatever reason, the majority of Bibles for kids focus on what God wants us to "be and do." Sally-Lloyd Jones has done a marvelous job showing the connection of each Bible episode to the grander story of God working through history to redeem a people for Himself. The only reason I don't give it a 5 star rating is that she is at times a bit "touchy feely" in her description of God's pursuit of lost man. She approaches that great theme as more of a love story (which, of course, it is in many ways) than a rescue story. Yet that is a minor criticism in light of the excellent job she's done with this children's Bible. The illustrations are also terrific. My kids love this Bible.
"The Jesus Storybook Bible" is my favorite of its kind. Usually the stories of the Bible are taught in a moralistic fashion. Not so here. Rather children will be taught the Christ-centered nature of Scripture. Sally Lloyd-Jones has given the church and families a wonderful gift.
Author Sally Lloyd-Jones was born in Uganda and raised in several different parts of Africa. She worked in children's publishing for serveral years but now writes full time. Sally resides in Manhattan and has been a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) for over ten years. 
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