On the surface, hot tubs, red Kool Aid, iguanas and shish-kebabs may not seem the perfect enticements towards promoting Bible reading for young children, but a reading of Andy Holmes newest book If You Give a Boy a Bible (Kregel Kidzone, May 2004, hardcover, 32 pages) shows that you can’t make assumptions when it comes to kids.
Author and Illustrator Andy Holmes takes a humorous approach towards evangelization with this book, which is loosely reminiscent of the classic If You Give a Moose a Muffin. The opening pages of the story find a father sharing the Bible with his son and in turn taking time to read it with him. From here, the true action of the book begins as this gift leads to all kinds of imaginative thoughts. As the boy learns stories from the Bible, he begins to act out the accounts in his own little world.
Sprinkled throughout the book are references to classic Old Testament accounts. Readers will love how the boy absorbs and then finds his own take on the stories of Noah, Joseph, Moses and others. Holmes illustrations lend life to the story – I was particularly drawn to the variety of facial expressions in the book.
The book’s end finds the boy sharing the gift he’s received and loved so much with a friend. This gentle approach to witnessing to our faith will make sense to kids – who wouldn’t want to share a gift that brings so much wisdom, enlightenment and fun? If You Give a Boy a Bible is aimed at children ages four through eight years of age, but I’m willing to predict that most grown ups will learn a thing or two from this enjoyable book.
For more information on If You Give a Boy a Bible visit http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825455138/digitalcropper-20
Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader.
