My First ABC Book of Bible Verses

This is a lovely picture book that uses the alphabet as the springboard to explore different truths about God through bible verses and simple explanations. Full of God’s truths, it will be a good introduction to his word for young ones, using bible verses from the full bible, rather than a simplified kids’ version. As such, there may be a little too much content for very young ones, so you could dip in and out of it with toddlers, rather than read it cover to cover. Older pre-schoolers will likely appreciate the ABC structure, finding the letters on each page and how the bible verse matches with them. The illustrations by Mike Mullen are fun and varied, with city and country scenes, and lots of different people. He cleverly utilises each letter, but keeps simplicity for younger ones.  However, there were two things that I noticed: 1. The ABC structure has driven the choice of bible verse whereas it would have been better to have the story of the bible drive the order. So, it oddly starts with Isaiah 53:6 - with sin, before God’s goodness or creation. The order feels haphazard throughout. 2. Three bible translations have been used: ESV (default), NIV and CSB. It’s an odd choice for young children, because the ESV's intention to retain Greek word order does not always correlate with the most natural English reading. The risk of three translations is that it gives the impression of just picking the one that suits your purpose. All in all, it’s a fun book that will engage parents and children alike to embrace, love and learn God’s word.

My First ABC Book of Bible Verses is a great way to introduce children to Scripture and teach them to personalize the message. The verses included are from both the Old and New Testaments and will lead children to important Christian fundamentals. Some examples include: God's word shows us the way to go, everything in the world was made by God, and that God sent His Son Jesus to be with us. We might tend to think of ABC books as being for toddlers, but this book is geared for early readers at ages 4 to 7, per the publisher's listing. The ABCs are an effective method to present a wide variety of Scripture in bite-sized pieces that children's brains can grasp. Each letter of the alphabet represents one Bible verse and is followed by an instructive one-sentence explanation of what the verse means to us. Illustrator Mike Mullan depicts the message of each verse beautifully with his creative artwork. My First ABC Book of Bible Verses is part of the 'Big Truths for Little Minds' Series by New Growth Press. This book is a valuable addition to the series and is a great conversation-starter for little learners.

The illustrations are bright and fun. Each letter is accompanied by a verse that corresponds to that letter, and a brief explanation or clarification of the verse. My 2 and 4 year old both enjoyed going through this together. It’s short enough to go through several letters of the alphabet and the verses at a time while still holding a little one’s interest. This would be a great addition to family devotion time for those with young children! Thank you to New Growth Press for my copy.

Preschoolers will love learning ABC Bible verses for kids, and their meaning, with My First ABC Book of Bible Verses from Jonathan Gibson! This beautiful picture book is the perfect gift for the little people in your life. After all, God’s Word always accomplishes his purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11), so the opportunity to learn 26 verses through the repeated reading of a book they're sure to be drawn to over and over is a blessing parents won't want to miss!

Long ago I stumbled on the New England Primer of 1690. As it goes through the alphabet for young minds, it has a specific letter and then a short ditty. For example, under “A” it has, “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.” Very catchy for both teaching letters and Protestant theology. In a similar way, Jonathan Gibson, minister in the International Presbyterian Church (UK), Associate Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, and author, has compiled a snazzy kid’s book, “My First ABC Book of Bible Verses: Big Truths for Little Minds”. It is brightly illustrated by Mike Mullan. As the title indicates, the book follows the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, one letter per page. But instead of using cute ditties the letters are attended by a Bible verse at the top of the page. It’s all very simple. For example, the radiantly displayed letter “A” has Isaiah 53:6 attending it, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.” The word “All” is highlighted to go with the first letter of the alphabet. Or for the vibrantly exhibited letter “K” is a verse about the kingdom (Matthew 19:14), “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Then at the bottom of each letter-page is a devotional thought for the youthful readers. Taken altogether, these devotional thoughts are clearly gospel-driven. For example, with the letter “A” it says, “Going our own way not God’s way is what the Bible calls sin.” Then, with the letter “K” comes this one, “Jesus loves you and wants you to come to him.” A parent or grandparent could easily sit down with their wriggly little child – and their short attention span – and use one letter a night before bedtime for twenty-six evenings to help the kids get into the rhythm of family worship early on in their life. And the radiant illustrations will recruit their eyes to stay attached to what is happening. It would also be fitting – for memorization purposes – to do one letter each week. Such as the letter “A” and it’s Bible verse every night for the first week, and so forth. The illustrations are pretty broad. They include country scenes, rockets, cattle, camping, brown kids, white kids, boys, girls, women, men, and more. I think one would have to be very nitpicky to find fault with the artwork. The pictures on each page will also add to the parent-child interactions about each letter and the verse. For example, the letter “E” emphasizes eternal life (John 3:16). There is a thorny crown hanging off the “E,” but also raindrops falling and flowers growing. I could almost envision dad asking the kids, “What’s that? Oh, it’s a crown of thorns, is it? Well, who wore a crown of thorns? “Jesus did, yes, that’s right. What does this have to do with our Bible verse? Oh yes, Jesus, God’s Son given to save us. Great job kids!” My only beef with the book – and it’s teeny - is that I wished the letter “Q” would have stayed with the more traditional rendering of Psalm 23:1. For whatever reason the author uses the Christian Standard Bible’s version, which reads differently from the KJV, ESV, NKJV, etc. If for no other reason, to help the kids and parents and grandparents use the same language and cadence. There is a genuine catholicity (universality) in doing so that transcends generational differences. But enough about that. I must say, this is a delightful-to-see-and-read kids book. “My First ABC Book of Bible Verses” is one parents, grandparents, church nursery coordinators, and others ought to get hold of and use. I highly recommend the book. My thanks to New Growth Press for asking me if I’d like to review the book, and for sending me a free electronic copy for this appraisal. They made no demands on me, other than that I’d give my own evaluation of the work. Therefore, this review is freely made and freely given.