The NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers - TOS Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Reading the Bible is such a crucial part of spiritual growth, especially for our children. I'm always on the lookout for ideas to get and keep my kids in the Word. I was excited to receive the NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers from Zondervan for Titus, my nine year old, to try out. 

This Adventure Bible is geared toward kids 6 to 10 years old, and I find this to be the perfect suggested age range. The translation is the New International Reader's Version, which is based on the New International Version (NIV). The difference in the two translations is minimal, but the words and sentences have been simplified and made shorter. This makes the Bible much easier for young children to read and understand. Also, each chapter has sections and titles to give a clearer picture of what each section is about.

I am very particular about which Bible translations my children and I read. I research the philosophy and techniques behind each translation that I read. I was pleased that there is information about the NIrV right in the front of the Bible, and it's in very easy to understand language! It includes a list of verses that aren't included in the earliest Greek manuscripts, with an explanation to why they aren't included in the NIrV. This was very helpful to me in understanding why some verses are "missing" from this translation - something I haven't researched yet. The short explanation provided in this Bible has sparked my interest in the NIV translation.

This translation was very easy for my nine-year old son, Titus, to read. He reads well for his age, but some Bible translations make it difficult for him to understand what he is reading. With the NIrV, he not only read the Bible easily but comprehended what he was reading - which is very important when reading the Bible. I'm going to give you an example of this translation in a very common set of verses - Psalm 23.

"The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. He lets me lie down in fields of green grass. He leads me beside quiet waters. He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of His name. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid. You are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me. You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies. You pour oil on my head. My cup runs over. I am sure your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

As you can see, the sentence structure and vocabulary is perfect for an early reader. Compare it with your favorite translation to see if your child would have an easier time with this translation. Another thing I really like about this Adventure Bible for Early Readers is the font size. It's not too small for young eyes to read easily. It's also not so large that it takes up too much space. To me, it's the perfect size font for a children's Bible!

The pages are colorful and bright without being too busy and distracting. There is plenty of white space and this makes it easier on the eyes. To me, the layout of the pages is neat and clean while being interesting and eye-catching.

There are many really neat features in this Bible that make it interesting for kids to look through. Even if they're not reading the scriptures, these features will pique their interest and give them motivation to dive deeper. I'll briefly touch on them.

WORDS TO TREASURE

These are verses throughout the Bible that would be wonderful for your child to memorize, or at the very least, to read through a few times. 

DID YOU KNOW?

These boxes answer questions your child may have about the scriptures, teaching some pretty neat fun facts!

PEOPLE IN BIBLE TIMES

These are mini-biographies (just a few sentences) about people in the Bible. Some are pretty familiar, but some your child may not have heard of.

LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES

This section tells some interesting facts about living in Bible times, including a picture in each box.

LIVE IT!

This section challenges your child to live out what the Bible is teaching us.

There are full-color pages spread throughout the Bible with informative and interesting charts and graphics. The Ten Commandments,  the Love Chapter for Kids, and Famous Children in the Bible are just a few. Titus enjoyed flipping through the Bible to read these.

There are also book introductions for each book with information about who wrote it, why it was written, what is special about the book, when it was written, and important chapters in the book. This is a great way for your child to get a quick overview of the books in the Bible. A  subject index, dictionary, and maps are included in the back of the Bible to help your child get a better grasp on the context of the Bible. 

If you're looking for a Bible for your early reader or young child to read on their own, this is the one! The font size, simple language, and colorful features will draw your child in. Check out what the other Crew members had to say about the Zondervan NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers by clicking on the banner below!