Perfect Prophets, Helpful Hippos, and Happy Endings: Noah and Jonah in Children's Bible Storybooks in the United States

This article is based on a study of hundreds of children's bible storybooks available in the United States from 1850 to the present and focuses on the way the biblical stories of Noah and Jonah have been retold for children. These children's bible storybooks lend insight into the American church's changing assumptions about the purpose of the religious education of children and the nature of the Bible and its role in religious instruction. The author suggests that these retellings often change Hebrew Bible stories in ways that rob them of the very features that make them helpful resources for religious education. The author also offers suggestions for future authors, illustrators, and consumers of children's bible storybooks.