ECPA Top Shelf Cover Award 2024
Introduce preschoolers to the wonderful truth of Scripture with My First ABC Book of Bible Verses.
Jonathan Gibson helps toddlers and preschoolers learn key Bible verses along with their ABCs. Each letter of the alphabet has a bright, captivatingly illustrated page with a short, foundational Bible verse to be memorized and a simple sentence that helps explain the verse.
Parents, grandparents, and caregivers will love to use this book to teach the littlest ones foundational truths in a fun, easy-to-remember way. By committing these big truths to their little hearts and minds, toddlers and preschoolers will be able to ground their young faith in God's Word, which will guide them in the years to come. Children will learn from the earliest age who made them, why they need Jesus, how to become a child of God, what to do when they are afraid, and many more life-changing truths.
My First ABC Book of Bible Verses is the first book in the Big Truths for Little Minds series, which introduces children ages 3–5 to basic concepts of the Christian faith.
"No responsibility is more important for Christian parents than introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them love his Word and follow him. In My First ABC Book of Bible Verses, Jonny Gibson has provided parents with an accessible, engaging way to introduce Scripture to little ones."
Daniel Huerta, Vice President, Parenting & Youth, Focus on the Family
"Jonny Gibson's new book, My First ABC Book of Bible Verses, is a wonderful way to read and memorize Scripture with your child. It's also a fun and creative way to introduce them to a variety of biblical words as they learn their ABCs."
Melissa Kruger, Author; vice-president of discipleship programming at The Gospel Coalition
"What a beautiful, simple, useful on-ramp for any young child to begin to store up God's Word in the heart."
Dane Ortlund, Minister of Naperville Presbyterian Church; author of Gentle and Lowly
"My First ABC Book of Bible Verses will help families remember and rehearse the life-giving truths of God's Word. This is exactly the kind of book I want to read with my four kiddos."
Hunter Beless, Founder of the Journeywomen podcast; author of Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It!: Knowing and Loving the Bible
"Fantastic! My pastor and daddy's heart thrilled to see, read, and enjoy these ABCs. What a remarkable project—and marriage of simplicity and wisdom. Perhaps only a scholar and adoring father like Jonny could so ably select the right twenty-six verses and so succinctly explain them—both for our children and for us parents."
David Mathis, Senior Teacher, desiringGod.org; pastor, Cities Church, St. Paul, MN; author of Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines
"Trust a wise Old Testament Professor like Jonny Gibson to produce a book for children that does what God himself does in his Word: help young people learn his truth by connecting some of its verses to the different letters of the alphabet. It still is an enjoyable way to learn Scripture by heart. And what's even better, the verses will probably never be forgotten. With its attractive illustrations, simple lessons, and, best of all, great Scripture texts, My First ABC Book of Bible Verses will last our children for a lifetime."
Sinclair B Ferguson, Preaching associate, Trinity Church, Aberdeen, Scotland
"Letters declare the glory of God. God's people are word lovers because Jesus is the visible Word; God's children are book lovers because God speaks to us through the Book. Jonny Gibson has created a beautiful book to teach our youngest readers to love the alphabet while hearing the life-giving Word of God!"
Irene Sun, Author of God Counts: Numbers in his Word and his World and Taste and See: All About God's Goodness
"Jonny's book is officially 'grandchild approved' in our house! The timeless truths from God's Word, combined with the beautiful artwork, will serve to help any family begin training their children to hide God's Word in their hearts and trust in Jesus from the earliest years."
Brian Parks, Pastor of Covenant Hope Church, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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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.
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.
