More Than a Story by Sally Michael

More Than a Story assumes that all of Scripture is written for instruction of all ages, and that both parents and children will benefit from a Bible story book that emphasizes.

More Than a Story: Exploring the Message of the Bible With Children (Old Testament) by Sally Michael, illustrated by Fred Apps. Truth:78, 2020, 432 pages.

More Than a Story: Exploring the Message of the Bible With Children (New Testament) by Sally Michael, illustrated by Fred Apps. Truth:78, 2021, 346 pages.

Reading Level: Ages 12-15

Recommended For: Ages 8 and up

There has been a happy recent trend of Bible story books that are more than a retelling of the Biblical narrative. Beginning with the bestselling Jesus Storybook Bible, others have sought to show that each event in the Old and New Testaments is part of a far, far greater Story in which God is the focus.

I am familiar with the Truth:78 Sunday School curriculum in which teachers are encouraged to emphasize the character of God, the nature of man, and how we ought to read all of Scripture through these lenses. More Than a Story makes this purpose clear beginning in the Table of Contents. Genesis 6-9 is not “Noah and the Flood,” rather “God’s Judgment and Mercy.”

Each chapter reads like a Sunday School lesson with questions (in italics), truths to emphasize (in bold), and direct quotations from Scripture (in sepia). A box at the end encourages parents to talk about what the chapter tells us about God (skim back and find it in the bold text), a salvation thread, and more things to talk, pray, and think about. Fred Apps filled the book with colorful, detailed illustrations (yes, there are pictures of Christ), helping to place the stories in historical and cultural scenes.

All of Scripture is profitable

An unusual feature of these books is the inclusion of ALL the books of Scripture. Job, the prophets, and epistles are usually omitted from Bible story books for lack of a “narrative.” This implies that such books are for adults, and that the stories are primarily for children.

Not so. More Than a Story assumes that all of Scripture is written for instruction of all ages, and that both parents and children will benefit from the chapters. Since the chapters are rather long for holding younger attention spans, More Than a Story is better used with ages 8 and up.

A solid resource for those who are familiar with Catherine Vos’s A Child’s Story Bible and are ready for more. You can order from Amazon, but the books are actually cheaper from Truth:78.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

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• A Resource: Interview with Tim Challies
• A Resource: Two devotional recommendations from Janie
• A Review: The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible is great for younger listeners.

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