I Wish I Had

I Wish I Had is a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated picture book. Words are minimal while the illustrations cover two-page spreads throughout.

The text begins on the first two pages: “I wish I had the eyes of a blackbird to see every blade of grass growing in the meadow…” And continues to the next two: “…and the feather-light steps of a tiger as it explores the silence.”

The author, Giovanna Zoboli, uses such animals as a leopard, an owl, a dog, a lemur and a bear in the text. The book ends, “Most of all, I wish I had the huge ears of an elephant to hear what the heavens say.”

What I Like: The text is lyrical and the illustrations, by Simona Mulazzani, work perfectly with the text.

What I Dislike: There is no mention of God. I point this out because those of you who are looking strictly for Christian children’s picture books would probably not choose this one. I suppose the word “heavens” could be loosely construed to have Christian meaning in this context.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Publisher Info: Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2013: ISBN: 9780802854155; Hardcover, $16.00

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The Lion Children's Bible

The Lion Children's Bible offers an extensive collection of paraphrased stories from both the Old and New Testaments.

The author, Pat Alexander, has labeled the two sections with subtitles: the Old Testament as "the story of God's people" and the New Testament as "the story of Jesus and his followers."

With over 70 chapters, most of the major stories of Scripture are included. Most just 2-4 pages. Some, like the life of Daniel, include sub-stories and extend to as many as seven pages. All contain full-color illustrations by Carolyn Cox.

What I Like: The watercolor drawings are quite attractive. The do offer some white space in speckled form, similar to what you'd find with block printing, but I really liked them. They were skillfully done. This is book parallels Scripture well. Over the years I've grown wary of this publisher, having seen too many inconsistencies, inaccuracies and condescending tones of atheist skepticism in their books. This one, however, surprised me with its level of reverence and biblical consistency. It even includes biblical references (book and chapter) at the beginning of each chapter.

What I Dislike: The writing lacked a smooth flow. It often felt stilted or clipped. Also, the book ended with Paul's shipwreck (Acts 27). While this provides a solid historical account of the Apostle's life, the remaining 22 books of the New Testament, most of which were written by him, are never mentioned. I understand the difficulties of translating epistles for children, but still consider this a grand omission. If you're looking for a first introduction to Scripture, this book will fit the bill nicely. If you want a full children's Bible, this isn't it.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 7-12. I feel this refers more to the reading level than the age appeal. My kids are 7 and 9 and were not interested in this book at all. I would say 4-9, depending on your child's interest and existing Bible knowledge.

Publisher Info: Lion UK, 2012; ISBN: 0745919391; Hardback; 256 pgs.; $ 12.99

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Special Info: We have reviewed a number of books by this publisher including The Lion Graphic Bible and The Lion Book of Prayers to Read & Know (both of which received our highest rating), Baby's Little Bible, and The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible.