One-Minute Bible Stories, New Testament - Hardcover

ea. vol: illus. by C. S. Ewing. 48p. CIP. Doubleday. 1986. PSm $6.95; PLB $6.95. PreSchool-Grade 2 Since Bible stories are already succinct, why skeletonize them? Furthermore, many of these one-minute versions omit so much that they are confusing, even pointless. The personalities may be remembered, but the essence of the event is lost. Each book contains 20 well-known selections. In the Old Testament book, the story of the Tower of Babel is successful; Noah is fair; and Joseph, David, and Saul are poor. The New Testament book is better. The versions of the Annunciation, the Nativity, and John the Baptist are adequate, and Holy Week is sensibly treated as a continuous narrative. Other areas such as the Sermon on the Mount and the parable of the good Samaritan are muddled. The interpretation of the motives of the Pharisees and Judas Iscariot are too personally judgmental. Inaccuracies in the text include referring to Joseph rather than Benjamin as Jacob's youngest son, to Miriam rather than her mother as entrusted with Moses' care by Pharoah's daughter, and to Jacob as one who stayed ``indoors to read. '' The style is crisp and conversational, but it includes a few unfortunate neologisms such as ``no no'' and ``big guy.'' The carefully-detailed illustrations in warm colors are busy, lively, and expressive, and they are well integrated with the text. The figures have a child-like quality. The big, bright format is appealing, and the celebrity authorship is probably attractive to borrowers inexperienced in the Bible story field. But Pat Boone's Favorite Bible Stories (Random, 1984) and Amy Grant's Heart to Heart Bible Stories (Sweet, 1985) are better buys, if a well-known author is important.Pat Pearl, First Prebysterian Church Library, Martinsville, Va.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.