Though there’s no shortage of good Christian books available, I’m sometimes frustrated by the paltry resources for children. Does it matter if the kids think Noah’s ark is just a fun story about a bunch of animals on a boat ride? Too often, the Bible gets reduced to moralism or strange adventures, but if our children are going to grow up with a love for God’s Word, they need more than that. In The Biggest Story Bible Storybook, Kevin DeYoung shows how the small stories of the Bible tell the biggest story “about a big God who never gives up on his sinful people” (198).
The Biggest Story, at just over 100 stories, certainly isn’t an exhaustive collection. Still, it’s probably one of the few Bible storybooks out there to cover the destruction of Sodom, Hosea’s adulterous wife, and the sudden death of Ananias and Sapphira. Though DeYoung’s choices may seem unusual, he selected stories that move the biggest story along in some way, telling us something important about God, about us, or about redemptive history. Many Bible stories do have an obvious moral lesson, but DeYoung shows that we need to dig down deeper too. The story of Jonah, for instance, not only warns us about the dangers of disobedience, but also tells us something about God’s mercy toward sinners. Similarly, Christ’s temptation in the wilderness shows how, unlike Adam in the garden and Israel in the desert, he is the perfect son.
How do you make a very serious book interesting and enjoyable for children without dumbing down the message? DeYoung strikes a good balance between reverence and whimsy. (No doubt being the father of nine children, as well as a pastor and writer, helps with that.) His storytelling has plenty of theological depth, but he keeps things engaging by pointing out interesting details (John the Baptist “ate sticky bugs”) or making quirky asides (such as explaining the difference between a hippo and a hypocrite).
As with any children’s book, the illustrations play an important role too. Award-winning artist Don Clark said his goal was to make art that appeals to children and conveys the emotion of the story without becoming cartoonish. His colorful, pattern-filled art looks a little less “real” than we may be used to, but that’s a strategic choice; it gave Clark the latitude to illustrate difficult scenes (such as the murder of Abel or David’s sin) in a way that’s neither graphic nor trite. For example, Psalm 23 depicts a man walking bravely through a dark forest full of menacing red eyes—an example of fear that every child can relate to.
The Biggest Story is perfect for families to read a chapter a day at bedtime, but others may benefit too. If you’re a grandparent, Sunday school teacher, or just someone trying to tell an unchurched neighbor about Jesus, this book will help you point out Christ in all of Scripture.