Family Time Bible- are the pictures too scary?

[mom2Hh]

I'm trying to decide which Bible to use with Little Hearts and the pictures in the Family Time Bible in Pictures seem overly scary, violent, angry to me. (I tend to be sensitive to this anyway...). The pictures in the 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible seem calm for the most part. In the few I saw they show the more positive side of things.

Can anyone share your thoughts on this? I don't want my 6 yr old to find the Bible scary.

[VAmomto4]

I have both of them in front of me. One of my children is very sensitive so I understand where you are coming from .

I don't find the Family Time Bible pictures to be scary. They are realistic--not cartoonish. There is a picture of Abraham ready to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. It shows him with the knife raised and face uplifted to God (in agony). But it also shows the beautiful picture of the ram that God provided to take his place. I would not miss that conversation with my children for the world! There is also a picture of the stone hitting Goliath's forehead and he is bleeding. But it doesn't show David cutting his head off afterwards. There is a picture of Stephen being stoned and Saul trying to kill David. There is also a tender picture of the Saviour healing a little girl and another of HIm with little children. The pictures are neither sensationalized nor watered down (imo).

101 Favorite Stories is a bit "gentler". The pictures are not as realistic and they also send to show the more postive side, as you said. The story about Abraham bringing Isaac to the altar is illustrated with a the two hugging with faces uplifted in thanksgiving to God. There is a picture of a man holding a baby with a sword and Soloman and the two women looking on. Again, it is a bit gentler and does not seem as scary and realistic.

I guess it just depends on what you are looking for . I like both! They definately read differently, so I'm not sure I would base my decision solely on the illustrations unless it is really a huge deal to you.

[joyfuljourney]

Yes I think they are scary and very realistic. The most realistic of all the many children's Bibles I have seen (I worked in a Christian bookstore so I have seen many). These pictures were fine for my DS. They will not be fine for my DD who may be in LHFHG next year. That said though I like the text better in Family Time Bible and pictures better in 101 Fav. ? Go with what your heart tells you and what you know is right for your child.

[Heart_Mom]

If you have a sensitive child, I would definitely recommend "101 Favorite Stories" over the other. The Family Time Bible has pictures that would certainly be too much for my sensitive daughter. (I bet my non-sensitive son would love them, though!)

Hope that helps!

[arstephia]

My dd preferred the Family TIme Bible and she is pretty sensitive, but she has said things like, "It was really like that wasn't it." It is like the pictures confirmed what her imagination had already produced, but it doesn't go too far. Still very reasonable considering the situations. The pictures are so good and spark great conversation. Ours is about worn out from being read and reread.