Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers his name
ジーザス バイブル ストーリー：旧新約聖書のお話
Sally Lloyd-Jones (Author), Jago (Illustrator)
(English version: Zonderkidz, 2007; Japanese version: Word of Life Press, 2015)
One of my favourite parts of the Jesus Storybook Bible comes near the start: “Some people think the Bible is a book of rules . . . Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes . . . The Bible is most of all a story” (p. 14–17). It’s one big story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them (author paraphrase).
This resource is excellent for many reasons: It’s available in many languages including Japanese; the pictures are cool; the language is accessible to children but not patronising or overly simplified; it presents the Bible as a cohesive whole that tells us about God’s “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love” (common refrain in book); and it shows how each story connects to Jesus.
There are also animated videos available, and you can watch some on YouTube if you search for the English chapter title. They have English narration, but we have used them for a Japanese audience by showing the video and having someone read the Japanese text.
Because it is easy to read and engaging, I also find this is a useful book to give to adults who are investigating the Bible for the first time to get a feel for the Bible as a whole. It provides a framework for understanding how various books of the Bible fit together and how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are central to the Bible’s message and the Christian faith.
I’ve used this resource in many contexts such as Sunday school, outreach events, and chapel time with my English classes (kids and adults), and we read it with our boys when they were little. Most recently, I made a set of character cards (like Pokémon cards), and my English class kids enjoyed collecting the whole set! On the last day of term, I made some karuta-type clues, and we had a great time playing karuta (slap the correct card)!1
The one downside is that it can be quite wordy for a younger audience (preschoolers), particularly the Japanese. So when we’ve had a mixed audience with very young members or are pushed for time, I’ve had to summarise some parts.
But overall, these books (in both English and Japanese) always occupy the most accessible spot on my bookshelf and are the top of my list as gifts for family, friends, and new seekers.2
1. The author would be happy to share these with you (Word doc or pdf)—please contact her via rhughes@jema.org.
2. The book and related resources can be found at this website: https://www.sallylloyd-jones.com/books/jesus-storybook-bible/
Photos submitted by author