Many thanks to Lifeway Christian Resources for providing a sample of the product for
this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.
Do you remember a time when you received a new Bible? I’ve had plenty of new Bibles in my lifetime, and each time I remember being filled with the same anticipation, excitement, and curiosity about what was inside.
When I heard about the chance to review the Explorer Bible for Kids, and I read the summary of the supplemental materials that this Bible contained, I was really hoping that I would get chosen to look at it and review it, and I was! So, here we go!
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Packaging
The Bible came in a nice sturdy box and the Bible was well protected inside with paper. There was no protective plastic around the Bible itself, so I’m glad it didn’t rain, or the box get wet.
There was no damage to the box or the Bible. The Bible arrived in excellent condition.
First Look
The Bible’s cover is hardback and colorful. The Bible weighs 3.5 pounds and has 1,443 pages in it.
The spine is tight and there are no loose pages.
One red ribbon is provided, and it is attached to the top of the Bible’s spine.
In my opinion, the outside of this Bible will be able to withstand children’s handling of it for many years.
The inside pages are thin but not transparent. I think parents will have to remind younger children to be careful with the pages.
The page illustrations are colorful and captivating. I can’t wait to take a closer look!
Bible Introduction Material
There is a lot of material in this Bible, so we’ll start at the very beginning.
Table of Contents
Two Table of Content pages are available. The first shows the Bible books in the order that they appear, and the second lists the books in alphabetical order.
Christian Standard Bible Translation Overview
There are also two introductions to the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Explorer Bible for Kids pages. The first has a quick overview of the supplemental materials in the Bible and the major objectives of the CSB. The second one gives the details on the translation of the CSB.
Some of the major points are:
- The CSB brings God’s Word from the ancient languages into today’s world with contemporary English.
- Aid in personal study and memorization
- The CSB keeps with the traditional theological vocabulary on words such as justification, sanctification, redemption, etc.
- Traditional spellings of names and places remain the same
Also located on this introduction page is how the CSB has typed the Hebrew names for God. This clarifies that when God or Lord is used, the way that they are spelled (with either all capital letters or just the first letter capitalized) tells us what the original Hebrew name is. (Elohim, YHWH, Adonai, etc.)
Supplemental Material Indexes
Next are the index pages for the supplemental materials. I’ll list the indexes here for you now and will go deeper into each type of material further on.
- Excavating the Past
- Exploring Creation
- Discovering the Truth
- Character Field Guide
- Charting History
- Archiving Discoveries
The last item before the Old Testament is a Commonly Used Abbreviation sheet.
Book Introductions
Before each Bible book begins, there is an introduction that contains important and beneficial information. It shows:
- The type of book it is (Law, History, Poetry, etc.)
- Who wrote the book
- What was happening in the world at this time
- When the book was written
- When the book’s events took place
- Where the book was written
- Why the book was written
- How Jesus Christ is seen in this book
- A few interesting pictures and story facts are available for the kids to look at. The scripture references are given so the kids can look up the reference and read more in that particular Bible book about the picture and fact.
Explorer Bible for Kids Chapter Layouts
Plenty of section headings are located within the chapters of the Bible.
The Bible verses are in paragraph style with each verse number clearly visible within the paragraph.
Some translations have the Bible verses in list format, which makes the Bible verses easier to find and also provides necessary spacing for easier reading.
But the paragraph style helps the story sections stay united and understandable.
Jesus’ words are in a red font.
There are no cross references in this Bible.
Supplemental Material
Excavating the Past
There are 205 Excavating the Past sections within the Explorer Bible for Kids. The focus is on illustrations and real-world images of places and items that are named in the Bible.
The first Excavating the Past section is on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Actual pictures are included in the block as well as the scripture references where each of these rivers are mentioned and some Did You Know facts.
The Google-earth style map located in this block shows the Fertile Crescent, bodies of water, countries, and cities.
Other Excavating the Past blocks show pictures and give information on artifacts such as swords, cuneiform tablet, goblets, and so much more.
Exploring Creation
One hundred and fifteen colorful Exploring Creation blocks reinforce that objects in today’s world are related to God.
The first Exploring Creation block is in the Genesis 1 chapter.
The Peacock Mantis Shrimp is shown in the picture. Some interesting facts are listed about the animal, and then the reason for the existence is given. – Yahweh – the everlasting God, created everything.
God created it to give Him glory.
Discovering the Truth
What I really found fun in this Bible is the Discovering the Truth blocks.
There are two hundred and thirty-seven of these simple blocks scattered throughout the Bible. They contain a scripture reference and a sentence or two of summarization to help kids understand an important point about that particular scripture passage.
The fun part comes with the one hundred and twenty-six QR codes located in some of these blocks as well.
QR Codes
The first QR code is found on the pages of Genesis 1 and 2.
The scripture reference is Genesis 1 and the simple sentence is “God created everything and rules over it.”
When you scan the code, it takes you to a bhpublishing internet page so kids can watch a video about the topic.
This video is seven minutes long and a young man encourages the kids to turn to Genesis 1. He then walks through the Cumberland Caverns while talking about God’s creative power and His creation.
The emphasis at the end of the video stresses that we are God’s most powerful creation and that He created us so that we could have an eternal relationship with Him.
The Gospel message is clearly given stating that we need to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus.
Also on this internet page, below the video is four discussion questions to get kids thinking about the topic of the video.
Character Field Guides
Seventy-nine Character Field Guides give cool information about different people in the Bible.
Along with the person’s usual information like name and name meaning, the Explorer Bible for Kids also adds additional information.
Kids can see scripture references on where to find this person’s story in the Bible, a birthdate, occupation, relative names, and this person’s claim to fame.
Charting History
Fifteen Charting History blocks show kids a birds-eye view of important groupings of information.
For example, the first chart is a breakdown of the Days of Creation. The scripture references are given where each creation day can be found in the Bible, and a nice colorful picture sits alongside of a short summary.
Other Charting History blocks contain information on Moses’ life, Israel’s history, Solomon’s life, good and bad kings, and much more.
Archiving Discoveries
Archiving Discoveries are highlighted verses throughout the Bible to help kids memorize important Bible verses. There are three hundred and thirty-six of these highlighted verses in all.
Two highlighted verses in Genesis 1 are:
Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.
Explorer Bible for Kids Study Aids
As kids read their Explorer Bible, they can utilize the additional features at the back of the Bible. They are:
Table of Weights and Measures
These charts are really cool. I wish I had these charts in my Bible.
They break down Weights, Lengths, Dry Measures, and Liquid Measures into understandable terms.
For example, the Biblical Unit of a Talent is used by both the Hebrew and Greek language.
The Biblical measure for a talent is 3,000 shekels or 60 minas, the U.S. equivalent would be 75-80 pounds, the Metric equivalent would be 34-40 kilograms, and various translations will have a Talent written as Talent/Talents; 100 pounds.
Explorer Glossary
The glossary consists of eight pages of alphabetical vocabulary words. Each word contains the definition and a scripture reference. The harder words have the pronunciation help in parenthesis.
Index to the Bible Stories
This helpful index can help you or your child find a particular Bible story quickly and easily. They are listed in biblical order and the scripture reference and page number is given.
Topical Concordance
Alphabetical listing of common Bible topics can be found among these pages. The scripture reference(s) are given but not the page number.
Art Credits
A list of credits is given to publishers and illustrators for the graphics found in the Bible. This list can be used if you are looking for more information on a particular picture within the Explorer Bible for Kids.
QR Code Links Index
Just in case your child is unable to scan the QR codes, this list shows the scripture reference and page number where each QR code is found along with the website URL.
Full-Color Maps
Really nice, colorful maps are located at the very back of the Explorer Bible for Kids. They show:
- The Migration of Abraham
- The Route of the Exodus
- The Tribal Allotments of Israel
- The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
- Israel in the Time of Jesus
- The Ministry of Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee
- The Passion Week in Jerusalem
- Paul’s Missionary Journeys
My Thoughts on the Explorer Bible for Kids
Would I Recommend This Bible?
I would highly recommend the Explorer Bible for Kids to any parent with children of any age. I feel the non-readers can still gain a wealth of knowledge by scanning the QR codes and watching the videos.
Children that can read can easily understand the text and will be captivated by the colorful, informative blocks of extra information.
Ideas on How to Use the Explorer Bible for Kids
Of course, children can read this Bible independently as they are encouraged to do their own personal devotions. But, because of the modern vocabulary and wording, I would suggest that parents read this Bible aloud during homeschool Bible class or family devotions.
The family could scan the QR code, watch the video, and discuss the questions together.
The parents could also have children practice reading the Bible out loud in front of the rest of the family.
The extra information with maps, pictures, illustrations, and animals can easily be studied together as a family. It’s like family devotions are already put together for you!
How to Get Your Copy of the Explorer Bible for Kids
There are two ways to get a good deal on this Bible. Christmas is coming, and the Explorer Bible for Kids would make a really nice gift.
First, you can get 50% off your purchase of the Bible at Lifeway.com. When you checkout use the code EXPLOREGIFT50 This code is only valid until 12/31/22, and can only be used on one copy of the Explorer Bible.
Second, for a limited time you could win a free copy by entering the giveaway below. This giveaway is for US entrees only. The more you enter and share the giveaway the more chances you have of winning, so be sure to come back every day to reenter.
Read Another Review
Lori from At Home: Where Life Happens has also reviewed the Explorer Bible for Kids. Click on her website name to read her review and enter her giveaway too!
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