Sequin Bible- ICB translation

As a blogger for booksneeze.com I had the opportunity to review the Sequin Bible- ICB translation for children, by Thomas Nelson Publishers. At first glance, the bible is impressively decorated with pink cloth binding and sequins.  I am sure the cover will appeal to any young girl- but you can not judge a book by its cover.
Though the ICB translation is specifically marketed for children , as an easy to understand modern version, it is a good resource for parents and other adults as well as children. I believe that many adult readers could benefit from a bible in simple easy to understand language. Obviously, as this particular ICB is marketed to appeal to a younger- female audience, many adults may not prefer to carry arround this boldy bejweled pink bible to church or bible study no matter how eccentric you are. Therefore you may prefer to read it in the privacy of your own bedroom, unless, of course, you covered the bible with a stretchy, stately, mature, navy blue book sox. Thankfully for us mature folk: parents, grandparents, business professionals and college students, etc., there are many good easy to understand, modern versions that we as adults can choose from.


Even though older translations such as the King James Version may be traditional, beautiful and poetically written, if the reader can not understand the antiquated language, then reading it will be of little benefit for the reader. In fact, strict reliance on older versions by some religious institutions is at a great disservice to the membership of the church. A sample of this translation style- the ICB version- is illustrated by the verse in 2Corninthians10:13 - “But we will not brag about things outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that God gave us. And this work includes our work with you.” Clearly this is a good translation for children as well as adults to understand. In contrast, this is the KJV: “But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.” It is more likely a child would be more receptive, and many adults for that matter, to the ICB version than the KJV.

One thing I would like to change is the actual formatting of the text of this bible. Considering that the intended reader is a child, I believe the font size is way too small. Furthermore, the text passages would be better if they were broken up by passage headings/ titles as is common with other translations. Additionally, some graphics, even minimal graphics such as the use of bold fonts and side bars would add more appreal. Other than the inclusion of color insert pages and a cool cover, this basically looks like a pew style bible that you would find in the pew of a church.



This bible is not like a bedtime story book of selected bible stories, it is the actual complete bible text. So, if you are looking for a simple quick bedtime story book, this isn't for you. But, on the other hand if you wish to find an easy to understand complete version of the bible that will bring the words of the bible to life for your child...and even yourself, then this is a great choice. As a blogger for booksneeze, I wrote this review and the opinions exp[ressed are my own.