Bible Stories Gone Crazy
By Josh Edwards
Illustrated by Emiliano Migliardo
Candle Books, 2015
By Lauren Yarger
When I review young children's books, I always do so with a mind toward whether one of my little nephews might enjoy it. After all, the test of a kids' book is whether or not kids like it as much as I enjoy reading it with them.
"Bible Stories Gone Crazy" is a winner, because all three (ages 6 and under) can enjoy it together or separately. A larger sized hardcover book, "Bible Stories Gone Crazy" offers a sort of "Where's Waldo" learning environment where kids can enjoy finding goofy mistakes in drawings depicting bible stories.
"Did Noah have electric tools and cement mixers? Did the Israelites really have surfboards," asks the book. But among the silliness and the complex, colorful drawings are some more serious questions bordering the pages, like, "how many pairs of animals are there?" or "Do you know why the king threw Daniel into the pit of Lions?" that teach kids math and reasoning skills as well as some bible history.
Stories highlighted include Noah and the Ark, Moses and the Exodus, Joshua and the Wall of Jericho, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion's Den, Jonh and the Whale and the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. There is quite a lot packed into this book for hours of learning fun.
One complaint. Perhaps I received a damaged copy, but several of the plastic-covered pages were creased and the stitching binding the book together doesn't allow pages to lie flat to facilitate exploring the drawings for hidden mistakes.