'My Book of Bible Stories' will be history (?)

[Adelin]

In its 38 years of existence (the oldest publication we currently use in the ministry?), this book had a great impact on so many people. This was the book of my childhood and everytime I read or hear a bible story, the first image coming through my mind is one from Bible Stories book. I used to know some stories word by word.

Over the years I was delighted to see how many people in the world were influenced by this book. (Some time ago I started studying with a man in his thirties. Even though he never read the Bible, he had a basic knowledge about the Bible and loved to show me what does he know from the Bible and some biblical events and characters. When I gave him the Bible Stories book, he said after looking into it: "I remember I had a yellow book just like this when I was a child, it had the same images. From that book I learned all the things I know about the Bible." - it was the same book, just with different cover ). 

This was one of the most appreciated publications in cart witnessing here. 

 

Have I heard well that we will stop printing this book this year and we gotta empty the stocks? 

What could replace this book? 

What does the Bible Stories book mean to you?

Edited May 24, 2016 by Adelin

[Womandriver]

Oh I pray they do not stop printing unless a new one comes out.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[Hope]

I taught my son how to read out of that book... I hope something - TANGIBLE - replaces it.. 

Edited May 24, 2016 by Hope

[blue-jay]

That would be sad. Some years ago a return visit told me that it was her first "Bible". Another Return Visit told us that he remembers the book and asked if we still had it, because he wanted it for his kids. 

It is almost like our own Bible History Book. Not just for kids, also for adults.

It is one of our organization's classic pieces. Even if it gets replaced, the original will never get old. How could you replace those pictures? They're very 70's, but that's part of the charm lol

[tucker]

Not only has it been wonderful for teaching children, we have used it in the ministry for people who do not speak English (or whatever your language may be) well . It is also helpful for people who are very uneducated.

[kejedo]

When I started 'studying,' this is the book I read cover-to-cover in order to get a chronological overview of the Bible. All of my sons learned to read (early readers) by my making flash cards for each story (the younger the child, the larger the flash card). I have used this book with foreign language readers with mixed success.  I sincerely hope that it continues to be printed.  

[carlos]

2 hours ago, Adelin said:

Have I heard well that we will stop printing this book this year and we gotta empty the stocks? 

What could replace this book? 

What does the Bible Stories book mean to you?

I was surprised that the Bible Stories book was not mentioned in May broadcasting when the brother was listing the publications for children and youths along the years. He jumped from the Great Teacher, Family Happiness and The Best Way of Living to Young People Ask and the new Great Teacher.

[Hope]

None of those books really replace the Bible Story book.  They are on completely different themes.. 

 

[jwhess]

We were at the Milwaukee convention when the "Bible Stories" book was released.  I have pictures of our two girls (who were 3 and 5 years of age) holding their new copies of the book.  Brother Knorr had just died a few months earlier and Fred Franz was president of the Society.  It was only a couple of years before that that we banned smoking and instituted the elder arrangement.

 

This book is a wonderful treasure and holds great memories.  However, it is a 'little-long-in-the-tooth' as they say.  Not too many publications dated from 1978 are still used by us in the ministry or even for reference.  It is getting close to 40 years old.  The 'All Scripture' book was from 1988 and it is being discontinued, also.

 

I still miss the pink "Paradise Lost" book.

[ArthurW]

According to the disconntinued publications list, only the brochure version of "Bible Stories" is being disconntinued (I had no idea there was a "Bible Stories" brochure), and the compact disc version has become unavailable for the time being.

Yes, we also have nice experiences in the ministry with the "Bible Stories" book.

[hatcheckgirl]

Whatever happens with that beloved book, the stories can't really be 'updated' since they are stories straight from the Bible. The later editions in paperback have those questions at the back for more intensive study, but I think the pictures are really the best teaching tools.  My grandson loves this to be read to him every night he sleeps over at nanny's.  Even if his father has left the truth, his child continues to love these stories as he did too.

[jwhess]

38 minutes ago, ArthurW said:

According to the disconntinued publications list, only the brochure version of "Bible Stories" is being disconntinued (I had no idea there was a "Bible Stories" brochure), and the compact disc version has become unavailable for the time being.

I noticed this "brochure" tag as well.  I never heard of the brochure (just the softcover version).  Our recent video mentioned the "Golden Age ABC booklet (brochure?).  I have a copy.  The letters represent Bible stories or principles.  "A" is for Adam. "B" is for Bible and so on.  "H" is for Hell but they explained that it was not hot, just the grave.  "L" is for Lucifer and the book still shows Satan.  Obviously, this fine effort at teaching children does not meet the needs of truth today.  It was printed in 1920.

[Omoyeme]

I loved "My Book of Bible Stories" even though my earliest memory of a book for children was that pink book "Listening to the Great Teacher." The pages are dog-eared now but the information remains invaluable. 

[outwalkin]

11 hours ago, jwhess said:

We were at the Milwaukee convention when the "Bible Stories" book was released.  I have pictures of our two girls (who were 3 and 5 years of age) holding their new copies of the book.  Brother Knorr had just died a few months earlier and Fred Franz was president of the Society.

My girls were the same age (3 & 5) as we attended an International convention in Montreal, Canada. Bro. Franz was on the program. No notes... he couldn't see them anyhow. Have the pictures too. Years later my son studied with a co-worker in the book. 

 

But it is alive an well in the electronic version -JW Library. Tablets are "in" now. 

[4th Generation]

Just looking at the cover brings instant comfort. Love that book. 

[timpin]

it was redone in 2004   ...    http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/21234  

 

do you know what was updated?   ...  http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/21254 

Edited May 25, 2016 by timpin

[JSmith]

Im in the truth today because of My Book of Bible Stories.  

My dad was not a witness and my mom was inactive.  Until I turned 13 I probably had been in a Kingdom Hall less than 5 times.

 

The only thing I knew about the truth was that Gods name is Jehovah, we werent supposed to salute the flag or do holidays (though I had no idea why) and what I Iearned from the Bible Story book which was my favorite book.

 

Shaky as that foundation was, when mom started going back to the meetings when I was a teen, finding the source of those stories in the Bible piqued my interest enough to want to learn more.

 

It has been one of the greatest joys of my life to be able to read those stories to my own daughters and see them drawn to Jehovah as I was.

[carlos]

28 minutes ago, timpin said:

do you know what was updated?

I think neither the text nor the pics were changed. But an appendix was added with questions to study the lessons, as well as a new cover.

 

[On the huh]

Looking through the last Publications List I have, under Brochures is listed "Qmy - "Bible Stories" Book Study Questions".  This could be the Bible Stories brochure, which is just the questions now included in the book.

[Hope]

17 hours ago, jwhess said:

We were at the Milwaukee convention when the "Bible Stories" book was released.  I have pictures of our two girls (who were 3 and 5 years of age) holding their new copies of the book.  Brother Knorr had just died a few months earlier and Fred Franz was president of the Society.  It was only a couple of years before that that we banned smoking and instituted the elder arrangement.

 

This book is a wonderful treasure and holds great memories.  However, it is a 'little-long-in-the-tooth' as they say.  Not too many publications dated from 1978 are still used by us in the ministry or even for reference.  It is getting close to 40 years old.  The 'All Scripture' book was from 1988 and it is being discontinued, also.

 

I still miss the pink "Paradise Lost" book.

We were at that 1978 Milwaukee convention, too!   It was my first (and last) five-day convention, I was 13 years old.  It was the summer before I was baptized that September.

 

It was SO exciting to get the Bible Story book -- not the least of reasons was because it had color pictures; quite the novelty in our pubs at the time.  It was a bit "young" for me and I was much more into the Paradise and Truth books.  But it was really great for my younger siblings and it was just an instant classic from day one.  It's good that it's still electronic... but I do think that little ones need an actual book.  Turning pages, seeing pictures - all helps keep them occupied, if ya know what I mean!  

[On the huh]

The Bible Stories book is a great book for parents to read to their children, and also for children to read on their own.  So not only does it impart bible knowledge to little ones, it helps them with their reading skills.

[Shawnster]

There was a revision of the artwork in the 80s or 90s. Some inaccuracies were fixed,  some production errors were fixed and the 2 color pictures were made full color. 

[Naruwa]

I remember a study we had with a Chinese family that had newly come from Argentina. Limited English so we used the bible stories book. We had the English copy, the parents in Chinese and the kids in Spanish. (They spent their early years in school in Argentina so knew Spanish better). It was quite an interesting study.