International Children's Bible

I was given a complimentary copy of the International Children's Bible by Thomas Nelson publishers through their BookSneeze program.

This is called the "Big Red Bible" by many people. This new edition contains many full color pictures which appear to have been drawn via computer. The text is "The Holy Bible: International Children's Bible" with a copyright date of 1999. This is a paperback
with the typical thin paper making it a reasonable size. There are no cross references or marginal notes. Extras include a dictionary, "Where do I find it?", memory verses and four color maps.

The text is easier to read than other translations. However, a problem will arise if attempting to use different editions of the "International Children's Bible" (ICB) in a group setting. For instance, the Illustrated ICB Bible New Testament text is not exactly the same as this text. As an example, this Bible has "he was appointed to be God's Son" in Romans 1:4. The Illustrated ICB Bible says he was "declared to be God's Son." The differences show that there may be confusion or lack of control of the text. The reading in the "Big Red Bible" goes back to that found in the earlier 1986 edition of the ICB. If all copies are the same edition, or this is used for just one reader, this may not be a problem.

I might use this in our church setting as an easier-to-read Bible version. I would be more likely to use the Illustrated ICB instead.