A couple of months ago we were sent the The Anytime Bible written by Mary Manz Simon. I was excited to be getting a new Bible as Pac Man and I had just finished reading his current Bible and we needed a new one to start! We read one Bible story per night out of a Bible like this and have gone through many Bibles this way. When a rep from Scholastic asked if she could send me this one for review, I was thrilled!!!
We have read the Bible for awhile now and I am ready to give you my thoughts on it! I will start by saying, we love it! Here are our 2 absolute favorite parts…
At the end of each Bible story, they include a “Bite Sized Prayer” which allows for some deeper thinking about the story. Pac Man and I have really enjoyed the discussion these little prayers bring.
Right above the prayer is “Something to Chew On” which is a really neat feature and just perfect for Pac Man who is 7 and in early 2nd grade. It is just another extension of the story, like this one below, talking about antonyms, how cool is that? Learning about antonyms in a Bible!!!
Another great feature of this Bible is the elastic book mark, which you can see on the right hand side in this photo below. This page also show the into to each story, which gets Pac Man thinking about what is to come.
There is also a note to parents for each story…
A “Little Taster” within each story…
And fabulous illustrations, which both Pac Man and I love…
Here is what is written on the author’s site, describing this great Bible…
The Anytime Bible
“Anytime” is a good time to connect with God. That’s the message of The Anytime Bible.
“Today’s fast track families need a resource to remind them that God goes where we go,” says parenting expert Dr. Mary Manz Simon. “Because families are so busy, it’s easy to lock God into a Sunday morning box. Our God is bigger than that!”
“‘Anytime'” is a good time to connect with God,” she emphasizes. Designed as a flexible, lifestyle product, families can use The Anytime Bible for two minutes or twenty.
Fast facts and reader responses trigger family discussion based on more than 50 Bible stories. A parent note for each story connects the Biblical truth to real-time situations. Content is written on various levels of knowledge, from clear-cut facts (Adam lived to be an old man: 930 years) to practical application (“How do you feel when someone says, ‘Don’t touch?'”) These multiple layers connect with family members of all ages.
Simon says, “Research consistently shows that children, even teens, want to spend time with their family. The Anytime Bible promises and delivers God’s truths in a format that’s fun and flexible for family togethering, anytime.”
I think the description is very accurate, you can spend as little or as much time as you want with this Bible. Both Pac Man and I highly recommend it, for early elementary children! Pac Man even enjoys reading it on his own, but is best when we read it together and let the many features spark our conversation! We love this Bible!