Read and Share Toddler Bible

The Read and Share Toddler Bible is a children's Bible directed at toddlers aged 1-4. Based on our experience with this Bible, I would say that it is better directed toward children aged 1-2. The stories are short and simple and easily understandable for this age range. Plus, they cater to a very short attention span with each story containing around 4-6 pages with very few words.

The Read and Share Toddler Bible is the perfect size for toddlers to carry around and read without it getting bent or the spine getting loose. It's perfect for chubby little fingers to wrap around and it's the perfect size for taking to church, to keep the little ones amused during the service.

I love it that there is a DVD of stories that accompanies the Bible to enforce what your children are learning during family worship and independent reading times in the Bible.

I love the concept that they use at the end of each story, which is to engage your children with a particular activity that pertains to the story or questions to draw out your children about the story.

Now, most people may not have an amazing children's Bible to compare this to. I do. The Big Picture Story Bible is packed with God's amazing character interwoven into the stories that it depicts. His character and his promises are emphasized as you read through the Old and New Testament. The Read and Share Toddler Bible fails to emphasize God's character as it tells the stories. Here is an example:

Jesus Helps a Little Girl

The conclusion: "He (Jesus) took her by the hand and said, 'Stand up!' She stood up! She was all better."

I read the last page of this and flipped the page waiting for more.

An explanation.
A praise.
Something about who God is.
Please!

Nope. And most of the Bible is like this. I want a Bible that emphasizes God's character in the story. I want to instill faith in my children by revealing the character of God, not by simply telling them a nice moral story. The stories told are true and accurate, but the missing ingredient is an important one: God's revelation of himself through these stories.

This Bible is fine to add to your children's library as a storybook, but as you read the pages I encourage you to ask yourself, "What does this say about God?" and to teach those truths about God to your children as He reveals himself through the pages of the Bible. As your children learn more about His character they will have a greater sense of their own sinfulness, which will lead them to a greater dependency on God, and this is ultimately what we desire for our children.

If you decide to purchase this Bible, keep this last point in mind so that your children don't simply come to know the morals of the Bible, so to speak, but that they can also understand the God of the Bible who wills and acts according to His good purpose throughout the pages of Scripture.