Two Bible Resource Christmas Gift Ideas

Graphic Novel – Gift Idea #1

Graphic novels are in, but if you’ve browsed the racks of your local school book fair (which I highly recommend!), you probably already know this. I miss those elementary school days when I would have a tall stack of new books to explore. My checkbook is glad those days are behind us but I’m always on the hunt for a good adolescent book that entertains them while teaching them.

The great people at Zondervan have also caught the graphic novel bug and have created a wonderful book incorporating portions of the New Testament with graphic novel origin stories. (Bible learning plus entertainment – win-win for both parents and kids).

Bible Scholar and author Brian D. Brown alongside artist and theologian Siku (the same guy who illustrated Marvel UK!) with illustrator Jeff Anderson created this amazing resource filled with creative stories and incredible artwork.

I Recommend

This book takes actual events and adds a twist of fiction to bring Bible stories to life for the next generation.

I would recommend this book for children 8-12 years old. The action-packed illustration in true graphic comic form will keep the attention of even your youngest and most distracted reader. The book is broken down into seven sections of narrative along with six graphic novels within the composition. The vividly colored illustrations help to further depict how the events happened. I know at times I had a hard time imagining how an event happened but an illustration (even though it’s solely the illustrator’s interpretation) has helped me to not only further understand the Biblical events, but also to see them in my imagination.

This 520-page hardcover book includes five full-color maps! If you’ve read any of my other reviews you’ll know that I love some full-color maps! Plus they help you familiarize yourself with how far someone walked, where they started their journey, and where they ended up.

The type is a comfortable size for even adults to read.

This graphic novel would be a great addition to any bookshelf this year. The owner will learn more about Biblical people and events while enjoying a entertaining backstory that adds to the experience. This would be a great resource to introduce a child to Christ.

Gift Idea #2

Upside-Down Kingdom NIV – This hardcover Bible is quite large when compared to some slim-line Bibles, but there’s a reason for it. It’s a single column. There is plenty of room in the margins to write lots of notes. This version includes the Comfort Print which is easier to read on the white pages. The font size is 8.5. The single column makes this book over 1682 pages.

This Bible contains the complete NIV text, along with full-page articles, book introductions, and hundreds of study notes in the margins. These articles and notes cover race, science, abortion, wealth, politics, and baptism, among many other topics. The book has a ribbon bookmark and lies flat.

This Bible’s dust jacket quotes, “God calls believers to live faithfully in a way that flips the wisdom of the worldly kingdoms on its head. In a culture that has become exponentially polarized, it can be difficult to think deeply and love widely.” I love the concept of “think deeply and love widely.” So often we forget that Jesus calls us to love—what better way to deepen our relationship with Jesus and others than through this Bible?
Amazon offers this Bible for $36.32 while the listed price is $49.99. This would make a great Christmas gift for a family member or even yourself!