{Blog Tour} The Book of Books: The Bible Retold by Trevor Dennis

The premise behind The Book of Books: The Bible Retold by Trevor Dennis is a simple one. The language of the Bible can oftentimes trip up children when all a parent wants to do is share the story of God's love - from the beginning of time all the way to the end. Mr. Dennis has taken the Bible and retold it in a novel form designed for children ages 9-12.

This book is not a Bible. It is a retelling of the Bible. While there is a listing of references in the very back of the book, it is designed to read like a storybook. As such, it has short, simple chapters that tell Bible stories in story form.

Since The Book of Books is a retelling of Bible stories, it does not cover the entire Bible. It attempts to cover the big stories and the ones that seem to fit best with sharing God's story. For example, there are only two psalms included in the book while the Bible contains 145. 

I began reading The Book of Books with great expectation. I hoped it would simply be a flowing narrative in modern language that told the same Bible stories I remember as a child - an easy way to read God's word. However, I just simply didn't like it. I wanted the real Bible. I just didn't care for this retelling of the Bible stories. I didn't like how much was left out and what was changed to make it easier to understand. 

The book itself is lovely. It's hardcover and should stand up to much use. With over 400 pages, it's definitely a substantial volume. You can purchase via Kregel for $16.99.

However, if one has never read the Bible and wanted to read this book as a way to become familiar with Bible stories, than it might be a good fit there. In the end though, I simply have to recommend getting a modern Bible translation (such as the New Living Translation or the American Standard or even my favorite - the 1984 New International Version) and read that. Nothing compares with the word of God and reading it directly from the Bible.

 

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the book through the Kregel Publications Blog Tour program. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions stated above are mine alone.