WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THAT?

What Does the Bible Say About That? By Carolyn Larsen, Illustrated by Rick Incrocci, Crossway Books, 2009, 352 Pages, Ages 8-12, ISBN-13: 9781433502132, $15.99

Carolyn Larsen, bestselling author of Little Girls Bible Storybook that sold over a million copies, penned What Does The Bible Say About That? to demonstrate to kids how the Bible relates to life, outside the context of church, youth groups, and ministry situations.

Over 340 kid-friendly devotions cover 300 topics. The alphabetized devotions start with A for Abandonment and end 339 pages later with W for Worship, which makes it a quick and easy reference for parents and kids to search particular topics. Rick Incrocci’s 200 delightful inset cartoon illustrations, pictorially illustrate many devotional topics.

Short devotions are formatted with four steps and conclude in one page:

1. “What does the Bible say about…” includes a brief topical illustration.
2. “What the Bible says…” lists three relevant Bible verses.
3. “Time to Face the Facts…” contains a short caution and warning.
4. “Today I will…” offers practical advice and affirmation for the topic.

For example, in the devotion on “Discipleship,” Larsen defines discipleship as learning from a teacher you respect and trust. She writes that God wants everyone to learn to “live like Christ,” and provides a brief explanation of why discipleship is one of God’s priorities.

Scripture support includes verses from, Joshua 24:15, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and Philippians 2:5-7. These verses teach how to serve the Lord, become like Christ and understand Jesus’ role as servant. She associates how students learn teachers’ values and ideas through classes and homework assignments with how students learn to model behavior like Jesus.

The fourth step, “Today I will…” acknowledges an intention to read God’s Word, learn how Jesus treated people, and reinforces the decision to act like a disciple of Jesus.

From the charming cartoon kids on the cover, to the kid-friendly, thought-provoking pages and cartoon depictions, Larsen’s marvelous biblical tool is an exceptional resource. However, something vital is missing for me. In the book’s introduction, the author reports two news flashes. The first one concerns God’s love and how His Spirit lives in believers to guide teach and correct them. But she doesn’t mention Jesus by name.

The second newsflash concerns sinful choices, and how God’s love and grace provide forgiveness when we ask for it because our sinful nature often acts in selfish, self-centered ways. She calls it “God’s grace in action” that provides forgiveness and the ability to “learn from our failures and mistakes,” but, again—no mention of Jesus.

The last paragraph is about God living in you, His plan and purpose for your life, and that you’re never alone, though you may feel alone at times—again, no recognition of Christ as the second person of the Trinity.

Even with what I consider an unintended flaw, I believe Larsen’s book provides a wonderful
overall road map for any child’s Christian journey. Because the author isn’t specific about Jesus, I believe some selections should be read with parental guidance. www.crossway.org/blog