In this outstanding edition of the Bible, the stories of the Old and New Testaments are retold by Selina Hastings in a lucid, flowing style for children's enjoyment and edification. Hastings consulted with a cadre of educators, scholars, and religious advisors to retain the original feel and poetry of the Bible, while appealing to contemporary young readers with clear, lively language. The somewhat lackluster illustrations on every page are not nearly as compelling as the stories themselves, but the variety of other artwork, including maps and color photographs of artifacts, plants, biblical places, animals, people, and architecture, makes up for any deficit there. All the best-known parables and teachings are here, including "The Plagues of Egypt," "The Birth of Jesus," "Jacob's Ladder," "Noah's Ark," "Judas Plots to Betray Jesus," and "The Resurrection," among many others. This volume also includes a "Who's Who in the Bible Stories" as well as quotations from the King James Bible, identified by chapter and verse. Hastings has written several other collections of Bible stories, including The Birth of Jesus and The Miracles of Jesus. And for a smaller, stockier version of the same book, check out Hastings's The Children's Illustrated Bible. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter