Hello everyone! This is Ivy returning with a review to kick off day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas gifts. Be sure to check out previous posts to if you missed the last few days.
This time, I am presenting a gift for those who want to enrich a child’s knowledge of the Bible, particularly those in it. National Geographic Kids’ Who’s Who in the Bible will do just that.
This book is very well organized. Scanning through the table of contents, all the figures with at least slight prominence in the Bible are there and organized in the order they come in the Bible. That way families can go through the Bible and use this book to further deepen everyone’s knowledge and understanding of what they are reading. Though it is geared toward children, I think this is something families can enjoy together. The colour scheme also helps organize the book. The portion on those from the Old Testament has yellow tinted wood as the background while the New Testament portion has a blue green background which I would imagine is supposed to be water. Between major sections there is are two pages of general background information which includes a timeline and little blurbs on major events or people. The background of each of these pages has a background unique to the rest of the book.
The pages with details on specific people contains a summary of what happens to them as the focal point, but it also includes a few facts on their name. There is also usually an extra fact about the person or the picture of them. There is a glossary and index at the back which is useful, but I find the transition between St. Paul and the glossary to be rather abrupt. I would have liked a bit of an outro; some sort of buffer between the two.
This book has a hard cover. It resembles stained glass and in a few of the panels there are pictures of different people from the Bible. I think it reflects the contents of the book well, but I don’t understand why there are two pictures of Moses. I would have switched one of them out for someone else, considering how many there are to choose from. The back has a handful of interesting facts which I think will capture the attention of many people. The end pages are a vibrant shade of peacock blue which works well with the title and touches of blue on the cover. They are well adhered to the cover. I do find it strange that they are a slightly thinner than the regular pages; hardly noticeable. Usually end pages are the same thickness as the other pages if not thicker. The pages are heavy weight and glossy. The print quality if excellent – the text is easy to read, and lines are crisp. The first page has a little line drawing of a dove which feels a little out of place considering how full the other pages are. The next page is when the book officially starts. The is a painting which fills the span of two pages – a stark contrast to the previous page. The picture is well chosen so that the title can still be clearly seen. The set up of the remaining pages is consistent. The pictures, as states on the back cover, are all classical and relevant to the information provided. They are of various media which my inner artist appreciates.
Overall, I think National Geographic Kid’s Who’s Who in the Bible is a way of condensing the Bible from a different perspective. It is definitely geared toward children as those who are older may already know the bulk of the given information, but it isn’t really a good option for very young children either, for they may not be able to grasp what they are reading. It does have background knowledge which is not otherwise included in the Bible itself and the art is beautiful. I give this book:
★★★1/2 3.5/5
3.5 stars. I cannot say I would eagerly pay $14.99 US for it, especially since it is $19.99 CAD. That being said, by no means is it a waste of money. I think many will enjoy it.
You may purchase a copy here.
See you next time with 12 Days of Christmas Gifts!
I requested my items via an e-mail conversation on July 7, 2016. The staff notified me that the Lives of the Saints 2-Volume Boxed Set was temporarily out of stock, which they told me “may take up to several weeks” for it to be back in stock. (Probably my mistake that I did not check the site to be prepared…) Therefore, I thought that my order would not come to my doorstep until probably August. On the night of July 18, 2016, I checked the website and saw that the item was back in stock. Curious of how the order was going, I emailed the staff and asked about the progress. The staff replied a couple hours on the same day after I sent the email. To my surprise, on that same day in the afternoon, after my afternoon walk, I saw a package on my front door. I thought that it was for someone else in my household. It was not, it was from The Catholic Company. I was thrilled to see the contents of the package.
The Catholic Man Reviews 