Bible Stories For Young Children
Well-written Bible stories for young children provide a strong foundation for a child's education. Christian parents know how important it is for their children to know about the historic events recorded in the Bible as part of the family's spiritual heritage. But all children need to know about Biblical people so that they can understand the themes behind great works of art, classic literature, and Western philosophical thought when they get older. For example, Bible stories of Noah's ark might include this verse: "And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth." (Genesis 8:11) A child who is familiar with this part of the story will immediately understand the historic and cultural symbolism behind Pablo Picasso's 1949 lithograph of a white dove. Over the many centuries since Noah's dove returned to him after the Flood, the white dove and olive leaf have become the international symbol of peace.
A child's age needs to be considered whether one is choosing Bible stories for young children to have on the bedside table or one is writing Bible stories of Noah's ark or Daniel in the Lion's Den. A skilled writer will not use a word such as "abated" from the above verse in a story written for four-year-olds. However, a word like this should be used for older readers to help them stretch their vocabularies and learn the varying nuances of synonyms. Both writers and parents need to be aware of what types of books and stories are best suited for different age groups.
The younger child will be more interested and more entertained by the pictures than by the words of a story. The talented illustrator of Bible stories for young children understands how to tell an engaging story with colorful drawings, especially for an infant's first books. This tiny person appreciates a soft cloth book with large, simple illustrations of a large boat, a man dressed in a brown robe, a white bird, and a rainbow.
Bible stories of Noah's ark written for toddlers also depend more on illustrations than on words. The illustrations can be more complex than those in the infant's book. Simple words describe what is happening in each drawing. Both toddlers and preschoolers enjoy rhymes and repetition. Books for this age group usually focus on Noah, the ark, the animals arriving two-by-two, and the rainbow. For these children, the foundation of vocabulary and reading is being laid as words are associated with specific items and the patterns of spoken words are heard. They also are learning important spiritual concepts about God's sovereignty and how He cares for His people. Even a preschooler can understand that God promised Noah and his family that water would never flood the entire earth again. When this little one sees a rainbow in the sky, she knows that it represents God's promise. Later she will learn about the scientific reason behind the rainbow, but she will know that God is the reason behind the science.
When children begin reading stories on their own, the balance between illustrations and words changes so that a third-grade chapter book will have fewer drawings and a more complex plot than the kindergartner's easy-reader. These longer stories give the writer the opportunity to include more details of a Biblical event. Bible stories of Noah's ark for elementary school readers might include God's instructions for building the boat. The cast of characters may include Noah's sons and their wives. These kinds of details most likely will not be found in the toddler's picture book of the same story. The author may decide to add story elements not found in the Biblical account, but that give the young reader insight into a different culture and a different time in history. For example, the author may write about the food that Noah and his family ate, the kind of houses that were lived in, and the types of clothing that were worn. These details make the story more interesting without changing the truths found in Genesis.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Noah's story is the coming of the animals. The Bible doesn't tell us how God brought the animals, two-by-two, to Noah so that they were safe in the ark when the Flood came. Neither do we know how Noah and his family cared for so many animals during the long days shut up inside the boat. Little children seldom concern themselves with these details. Of the many Bible stories for young children found in the Old Testament, this is one of the best for play-acting. No matter how many children are in a group, each one can play a different animal. The little ones will have a great time making animal noises and marching beside a partner into a pretend ark. For quieter play times, children can make animal masks out of construction paper and color rainbows on art paper.
As children get older, they will learn about great works of art, literature, and music. Those with a high level of Biblical literacy will have an advantage over other students who are not familiar with the Bible's historic events. Many monumental and well-known artists, sculptors, authors, composers, scientists, and philosophers were influenced by Biblical stories. These artists and authors included allusions to Scripture in the masterpieces they created. These scientists made discoveries because of their knowledge of Scripture. These philosophers even formed the government of the United States of America based on Biblical principles. Who knows what today's youth can accomplish, especially those most familiar with well-told Bible stories for young children.
A child's age needs to be considered whether one is choosing Bible stories for young children to have on the bedside table or one is writing Bible stories of Noah's ark or Daniel in the Lion's Den. A skilled writer will not use a word such as "abated" from the above verse in a story written for four-year-olds. However, a word like this should be used for older readers to help them stretch their vocabularies and learn the varying nuances of synonyms. Both writers and parents need to be aware of what types of books and stories are best suited for different age groups.
The younger child will be more interested and more entertained by the pictures than by the words of a story. The talented illustrator of Bible stories for young children understands how to tell an engaging story with colorful drawings, especially for an infant's first books. This tiny person appreciates a soft cloth book with large, simple illustrations of a large boat, a man dressed in a brown robe, a white bird, and a rainbow.
Bible stories of Noah's ark written for toddlers also depend more on illustrations than on words. The illustrations can be more complex than those in the infant's book. Simple words describe what is happening in each drawing. Both toddlers and preschoolers enjoy rhymes and repetition. Books for this age group usually focus on Noah, the ark, the animals arriving two-by-two, and the rainbow. For these children, the foundation of vocabulary and reading is being laid as words are associated with specific items and the patterns of spoken words are heard. They also are learning important spiritual concepts about God's sovereignty and how He cares for His people. Even a preschooler can understand that God promised Noah and his family that water would never flood the entire earth again. When this little one sees a rainbow in the sky, she knows that it represents God's promise. Later she will learn about the scientific reason behind the rainbow, but she will know that God is the reason behind the science.
When children begin reading stories on their own, the balance between illustrations and words changes so that a third-grade chapter book will have fewer drawings and a more complex plot than the kindergartner's easy-reader. These longer stories give the writer the opportunity to include more details of a Biblical event. Bible stories of Noah's ark for elementary school readers might include God's instructions for building the boat. The cast of characters may include Noah's sons and their wives. These kinds of details most likely will not be found in the toddler's picture book of the same story. The author may decide to add story elements not found in the Biblical account, but that give the young reader insight into a different culture and a different time in history. For example, the author may write about the food that Noah and his family ate, the kind of houses that were lived in, and the types of clothing that were worn. These details make the story more interesting without changing the truths found in Genesis.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Noah's story is the coming of the animals. The Bible doesn't tell us how God brought the animals, two-by-two, to Noah so that they were safe in the ark when the Flood came. Neither do we know how Noah and his family cared for so many animals during the long days shut up inside the boat. Little children seldom concern themselves with these details. Of the many Bible stories for young children found in the Old Testament, this is one of the best for play-acting. No matter how many children are in a group, each one can play a different animal. The little ones will have a great time making animal noises and marching beside a partner into a pretend ark. For quieter play times, children can make animal masks out of construction paper and color rainbows on art paper.
As children get older, they will learn about great works of art, literature, and music. Those with a high level of Biblical literacy will have an advantage over other students who are not familiar with the Bible's historic events. Many monumental and well-known artists, sculptors, authors, composers, scientists, and philosophers were influenced by Biblical stories. These artists and authors included allusions to Scripture in the masterpieces they created. These scientists made discoveries because of their knowledge of Scripture. These philosophers even formed the government of the United States of America based on Biblical principles. Who knows what today's youth can accomplish, especially those most familiar with well-told Bible stories for young children.
Bible Stories For Young Children
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