100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs

I received a copy of 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs through Thomas Nelson's book review bloggers program. Generally, I like to review fiction or nonfiction, and I usually stay away from the children's books. I don't have kids, but I do work with little ones and their families every day. I thought this book and cd combo looked like something fun to try. The Amazon description reads, "100 Bible Stories will soon be hidden in your child's heart and bursting out in song. From Genesis and Revelation to Psalms, Proverbs, and Jesus' parables, children will read their favorite Bible story and sing their favorite Bible song. Bible truths and Life Action Applications will help your child take these Biblical teachings to heart. 100 kid-friendly Bible stories, with adorable illustrations, are paired with two awesome CDs filled with 100 new arrangements of more than two hours of favorite songs, hymns, and spirituals. It's a unique experience the whole family will enjoy!" While I'll definitely be setting it aside for "someday", there are a few things I would change. Most of the issues that I have with this set are related to the organization of the book and the music.

First of all, I would include the track numbers from the CD on the page for each devotional. This would make it easier to match the devotional story to the accompanying song. Secondly, when I put the CD into a computer, I was initially confused. It seems that many of the song titles are incorrect. It just doesn't do to be listening to "He's got the whole world (in his hands)" and be looking at a song titled "Arky arky". This isn't a major issue, but it definitely needs to be remedied. Thirdly, all of the songs are done in kids chorale style- some variety would have been nice. Most of the songs are old Sunday-school classics, and something newer would also have added to the variety. While most of these songs won't drive parents over the edge, they aren't the sort of thing you'd want to listen to over and over either. In general, the devotionals are written on a 3-6 year old level, but they do include the Scripture references. The lessons included are pretty basic- God likes it when I listen to Him, God loves me, etc.

The good thing is that these songs are easy to memorize, and that each one goes along with a Bible story. This would be a great way to help young kids (ages 3-5) learn basic Bible stories and concepts. If I was using this with children, I think I would read the devotional and then go to a Bible and read the remainder of the story. The accompanying song would be used to help the lesson "stick" better in little minds.