NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids Review

 

The perfect first Bible for early readers.

NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids is a brand-new kind of Bible that allows kids ages 4–8 to read the full Bible without chapter and verse numbers and footnotes—study aids that are helpful for adults but can be very distracting for kids. This Bible presents the story of God’s people in a single-column format with an extremely readable font. With nearly every turn of the page, children will encounter full-color illustrations and kid-friendly maps that illuminate the Bible story. For children who want to read on their own or with an adult nearby, this is the perfect first full-text Bible for kids who appreciate the power of story and of God’s Word.

Features of the NIrV, The Illustrated Holy Bible for Kids include:

·         Bonus full-color double-sided poster

·         Over 750 full-color illustrations throughout

·         Full-color, child-friendly maps

·         Single-column text

·         Easy-to-read Comfort Print^® font

·         The complete text of the New International Readers’ Version (NIrV) of the Bible, created at a third-grade reading level just for developing readers

·         Vibrant and engaging cover

 

My Thoughts:

Kid Bibles have changed a lot since we taught children in Bible studies and my kids are grown up. I love kid Bibles and exploring new ones. I always found that for most kids they need something that they can relate to with illustrations and even the wording. I learned through the years that the most important thing is just getting a Bible in their hands and for them to read. Every Bible has a place for the age group.

This is a hardback cover that is colorful and attractive. The books of the Bible are color-coded to make it easy to skip to other books. They act like Bible tabs. The front has your standard content page. It has the page number for each book. Based on the NIV, the NIrV uses shorter sentences and will replace longer words with shorter words. It is intended for around a second or third-grade reading level. The illustrations also reflect the reading age.

There is a pull-out map and a Bible family tree in the back sleeve of the Bible. It’s a neat feature for a kid's Bible

The layout is a single-column text, which I personally like for writing notes in. The font is quite small in my opinion for the age group. I’d prefer a larger font for kids.

The scripture verse numbers aren’t in this Bible. It has headers instead. The header will have “Mark 6:30-44” instead of individual verse numbers. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about this. I do think it would be great reading Bible if you are reading to them where you aren’t having the kids look up verses. On the other hand, I have seen kids struggle to find the Chapter and verses and they get embarrassed and they suddenly keep forgetting their Bible. I think there is an important aspect to looking up the verses but, at the same time, it can be hard for some kids. I don’t think I’d suggest your kids bring this Bible to church. If the Bible class is using this Bible that would be different. My personal preference is that the Bible has the verse number for my family and a class I was teaching. I think it’s a valuable skill for kids to be able to look up the chapters and verses. I know I’m spending a lot of time on this. What is more important for the kids to read the Word of God or be frustrated? I really can’t answer that as it’s something you will need to decide. Each aspect has its pluses and minuses.

You can purchase a copy at this link.

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product of the Bible from Zondervan for their honest review.

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