excellent resource for re in yr1 - Rated 
I used this book along with animal tales to make the unit of 'Jesus' more accessible to children in a yr 1 class where religion is not a feature in the majority of their lives.
The humourous writing engaged the children, and the language was basic enough for the children to understand. I had them acting out several of the stories, which they loved! some children even chose to look at the books during free play and i have recommended the purchase of both books to the RE coordinator.
Wonderful in parts, but avoid the camel story - Rated 
The illustrations are great, and I disagree with the negative review which says they have over-simplified or ruined the story. The stories are told well, and my kids love them. Especially the pearl-merchant and his floppy feather hat.
Three reservations: I don't use the camel and the eye of the needle story. The point of Jesus' story is not that it is entirely possible for the rich to get into heaven if only they crawl a little- it's that it is not possible (as the disciples then exclaimed- "well then, who can be saved?!"). Also, there is no needle-gate in Jerusalem, despite many commentaries speculating on what it might have looked like if there was one. When he says "camel" and "eye of the needle", he was talking about a camel and a needle.
Also, the two houses: one builds on rock, one builds on sand. The one who builds on the sand in the book also builds badly. Not a big point, but Jesus' point was not that the builder was a sloppy builder, but that he was a fool for choosing the sand to build on.
Finally, the point of the shepherd looking for his lost sheep is that the Shepherd finds the sheep- God is not happy when people find him- He is happy when He finds them!
But then, I studied theology, so I would be fussy. But these are three comments for what is, as another reviewer said, a great book with the stories retold well and with humour and wonderful artistry.
A lovely bible story book - Rated
This book has been great to keep my son entertained and quiet in church on Sundays. I have been reading it to him since he was about 2. The short amount of text on each page with the accompanying picture is suitable for 2-7 year olds, since older children could probably read this book alone. He really enjoys the stories and they are easy to understand for such a young child. The modern take on these bible parables with the fabulous illustrations make the stories relevant and understandable for young children. The offer of reading him one of these stories when he is getting bored during mass, is guaranteed to capture his attention on my lap in silence, whilst I whisper the text and we turn the pages together. Thoroughly recommended.
Very disappointing - Rated 
Bought this for my 3 year old twins at Christmas - what a disappointment! I thought that a book combining well known Bible stories with the writing talents of these two authors whom my kids love would have culminated in something special. Instead the text was just so sparse and oversimplified so as to lose any of the interest and meaning of the stories. The kids immediately told me it was boring and had no story so I'm on the search again for a decent Bible story book - it's certainly not this one - avoid!
A good introduction to the bible with humour - Rated
What I really liked about this was the humour in the stories. My 3 yr old son loves them all and although the text is sparse you can embellish to your heart's content as the illustrations are superb.
It is not condescending and despite its brevity the moral message is clear. Plus the original bible story is also printed so for older readers both can be presented.
Really recommended!
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