The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

Author: Kevin DeYoung

Illustrator: Don Clark

Crossway, 2022

At a Glance

• Age range: 6-12 years
• Number of stories: 104 (52 from the Old Testament, 52 from the New Testament)
• Available in audio or hard copy formats
• Lots of companion products available (board book, video set, curriculum, posters, activity books)

Pros

• Includes a large number of Bible stories, many of which are not typically included in children’s books.
• Includes additional information about each section of the Bible (Pentateuch, History, Poets, Prophets, Gospel, Acts/Epistles, and Revelation)
• Most stories are slightly shorter (as compared to The Jesus Storybook Bible)
• Illustrations. Are. Beautiful. (I cannot overstate this. However, I will say this seems lost on the children.)
• Stories stick close to the biblical version, without much embellishment.
• What’s added are short asides or comments from the author, much of which is meant to be humorous, which makes my kids laugh.
• Clearer on theological doctrines.
• Includes a reflective prayer after each story.

Things to Be Aware Of

• The writer’s theological tradition is quite obvious in some places.
• No e-book version available.
• Writing style not as friendly for children younger than the target age.
• Related, some parents may not feel comfortable with certain stories that are included (such as Sodom & Gomorroah or David & Bathsheba).
• Illustrations may be more appealing to adults than children.

Review

We recently switched from reading The Jesus Storybook Bible to The Biggest Story Bible Storybook now that our kids are closer to the target age range of the latter. Both of our kids had received the companion book, The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden, at their baby dedications. We tried reading it with them when we first started practicing family worship, but found it to be a bit too old for their ages at the time.

However, as I mentioned in my review of The Jesus Storybook Bible, we turned a corner recently and wanted to begin focusing more on sin and our need for a Savior. We purchased The Biggest Story Bible Storybook during Crossway’s annual Christmas sale, and began reading it earlier this year. We recently finished our first read-through and have really enjoyed it.

It is a longer book, but includes many stories that our kids have never heard before. As I mentioned above, some of the stories included may make some parents feel uncomfortable reading with their children. However, DeYoung handles them appropriately and gracefully and we are thankful for the opportunity to help our children understand the harder content of the Bible. Additionally, this book has been clearer on the doctrine of sin and need for redemption, which has been helpful in our current season.

We also like the prayer at the end of each story, which our 5-year-old reads every evening. This adds a bit of practical application/reflection to the story and gives our daughter an opportunity to participate more in the reading. The stories are less embellished than in The Jesus Storybook Bible. Rather than add emotions, events, or words to the story, the author primarily summarizes each story in a simpler way for children and adds his own asides or commentary scattered throughout. Sometimes, this is meant to add humor, and our kids do find it quite funny at times.

On that note, I mentioned above that DeYoung’s theological tradition is pretty clear at certain points, and it differs from our own in certain respects. We don’t agree with all of his commentary in this book, but these are minor (third tier, if you will) disagreements. I have no qualms about recommending this book to parents, but wanted to make a note for any other seminary parents who just can’t help themselves (if you know, you know).

Honestly, the biggest downside to moving to The Biggest Story has been the lack of e-book version. We read “the story” every day, no matter where we are. We heavily relied on the e-book version of The Jesus Storybook Bible while traveling. While there is an audio version, we prefer to have the illustrated version for our kids. While not a deal breaker, it’s been an adjustment switching to a book without a digital copy and lugging this very large book around with us while traveling.

Overall, while I would not necessarily suggest this book for families starting out with tiny children, The Biggest Story Bible Storybook has been a great next step for us in our family worship time. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the stories are comprehensive and faithful to the Scriptures.

Find a full review of The Jesus Storybook Bible here.