The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos

This Story Bible is a chronological retelling of Bible stories that are simplified and interpreted for children. It was compiled by Catherine F. Vos as she remembered the Bible stories and lessons taught to her by her grandmother, a Sunday school teacher. The first edition was in 1935 and the revised edition was compiled by Vos’ daughter Marianne Catherine Vos Radius and included updated language and newly discovered archaeological finds that corroborate the Biblical accounts. The final edition was in 2003. The back includes an index, a map of the region, and a map of Paul’s journeys in the New Testament world. It contains many color illustrations painted in a classical style.

Recommended for ages 4-12.

Like many others, we love this Story Bible. While not a substitute for Scripture, it does an excellent job of explaining the people and elements in the stories in a way that makes them truly come alive. My children love this book and ask for it often. We will read through our Scripture readings and then find the correlating stories in the Story Bible to help us understand that passage even more fully.

The stories are broken down by Bible chapters and move chronologically through the Old and New Testaments. It is easy to reference and find the story you are looking for. I appreciate how the writer deals with difficult topics such as the temptation of Joseph. “He was so good looking that Potiphar’s wife fell in love with him. Of course this was wrong, because she was a married woman.” It makes the untoward situations of the stories simple to understand for children without degrading them and their ramifications. It uses simple language about sin and clear language about theology, staying true to historical Biblical interpretation.

The writer inserts questions to make the children think and reflect during the stories as well as their own opinions on the actions taken by people. I did not find this distracting or out of place. She also references Scripture throughout, connecting the Biblical narrative, especially between the Old and New Testament. She brings up people who already learned and read about, bringing to mind their actions and what happened. I find this very helpful. I love that Vos points out the Gospel all throughout the Old Testament and how it draws us to Jesus’ saving power on the cross.

Like many, we have truly enjoyed that this book deals with sin and does not gloss over the tricky or seemingly mundane parts of the Biblical narrative but explains them in context. I have even personally recommended this book to several adults to help them understand difficult passages. It would be excellent for an adult new believer. Overall, I love this Story Bible as it gives a very accurate and compelling narrative of Scripture.

Things to Note: The Bible has some very intense situations but this story Bible handles them expertly explaining the sin and possible motivations behind the stories. Always pointing to God’s grace and His awesome power. Vos does not skip over the stories that most children’s bibles do, but deals with them head on in a frank manner. I really appreciate this as do my children.

All sexual aspects of the stories are very simplified for children’s hearing.

Some have found issues with her explanation of Creation: that while God is eternal she describes our sun and stars growing old and dying out (and God never will). She also tries to explain very clearly how God separated the land and water because it was all mixed up together but the Bible only says it was “formless”. She will sometimes interject an opinion but I believe it is only to help explain it to her audience of children all the more clearly.

Jesus appears very European.

This review is written by Good Book Mom contributor, LeeAnne. To learn more about LeeAnne, click HERE.

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