This British import provides an accessible introduction to the Christian Bible, summarizing an amazing amount of material in a succinct and interesting manner. Each spread is a separate, short chapter, focusing on an important Bible story or aspect of history. Spot illustrations with captions extend the information from the text, and sidebars offer additional, related explanations about how and when the books of the Bible were written. Goodings clearly explains how the Bible came to be written and in which languages, with thoughtful definitions and time-frame references included in the sidebars. The chapters on the Gospels provide simple comparisons among the versions while also conveying the major events in the life of Jesus. The final chapters discuss the early Christians and translations of Bible texts from the original languages. The different modern translations of the Bible in English are not mentioned. Only a few very brief quotes from the actual Bible are included; these are from the Good News Bible version. Parents and church-school teachers will find this a useful introduction to a complex subject for school-age children. (Religion. 7-11)
