Friday, April 27, 2018

Planet 316 Story Bible Review

We own quite a few kids Bibles that we've collected over the years. Some we bought and some we picked up at the thrift store; some beginner readers, some early readers, and some for more advanced readers. However, we've never run into one quite like the Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App. 



The Bible

Alex, used this Bible in place of his daily devotions with the kids. He said he felt it was very close and accurate as far as the details of the stories goes. Even Messianic details through the Old Testament were not forgotten such as the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. The Bible included the fact that God provided a sacrifice and that "one day God would provide the greatest sacrifice of all, his own son, Jesus."




He said it blew his expectations as far as a children's Bible goes. It communicated the stories in a way children could understand without leaving out important details of the story. It's not an "early reader Bible", but my 6-year old can sit down with it and read it comfortably, granted she's reading at a 3rd grade level. So I would use this as a Bible I would read to my kids, unless they are 2nd-3rd graders, then they could read it on their own. 

As far as explaining certain sinful topics, this Bible did well. It explained murder as Cain having anger and jealously in his heart that led to his choice to kill his brother. Another example is the prodigal son admitting his behavior as having "sinned against God" and his father. John the Baptist called people to repentance and would baptize them if they were "sorry for their sins."

The trinity can be seen throughout this Bible as well. When God created man He said, "Let Us make man in Our image." Also, when Jesus got baptized, this Bible explained that the Spirit of God came upon Him and a voice from heaven spoke. I was very pleased that these important parts of the scripture were included in this Bible. 

Jesus' atoning death is clearly illustrated in this Bible as well. As I mentioned above, it's clearly seen in the story of Abraham and Issacc. In the New Testament, when the angel appears to Joseph the text says, "You will call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." How to be "born again" is clearly explained. John 3:16 is quoted in the story of Jesus and Nicodemus.




The App

The app is free and can be downloaded on a number of devices available by both Apple and Google Play. Once the app is downloaded, you give it permission to access your camera. Then wave the app over the page of the Bible and watch it come to life. Select characters and objects on the page come to life and pop off the page (literally OFF THE PAGE!). Appropriate background music begins to play introducing drama, sorrow, joy or excitement into the text. You can click on objects that are "alive" and they talk or make noises. 




It's quite incredible!

My husband, Alex, brought it out during one of our home Bible studies and him and the other adult males were engulfed in trying to figure out how the app worked and paged through the Bible awe-struck at how interesting the app and it's technology was!


I have to admit, I was very hesitant about the app feature of this Bible. I feel like having another electronic device exposure for my kids is not attractive to me. However, I really enjoyed what the app had to offer. I would get lost flipping through the pages and interacting with the stories. I'm not sure how I feel about the app entirely yet, since I am one who does try to limit screens in our home. 

However...

Alex and the kids LOVED the app feature of this Bible. They especially loved the background music the app would add to each page. The kids loved to be interactive with the stories they were reading clicking on the pictures and hearing the characters speak or the boats creak. It added drama, excitement, and depth to the stories. I think these features made the kids really feel the severity or the joy of certain events that you don't feel with reading alone. 




Alex said when he used the app it seemed oversensitive to any slight movement of the device. The 3D effects would disappear if the device was moved in the slightest way. However, when I used the app on my phone, I didn't have this issue. I could almost turn the entire page without the 3D effect disappearing. I could also almost run my hand under the entire picture before it would disappear. Also, it's important to note that older devices (such as our second generation iPad took a lot longer to load each page. The iPhones (iPhone 6S and 7) worked wonderfully with this Bible.




We did have issues loading page 86, when Moses parts the Red Sea. The people weren't popping out on top of the water when the picture came to life.


The Price 
This Bible ranges from $15-$20, which is a VERY reasonable price for the quality of the binding, the colorful pages, and the amount of content in this Bible. I feel like this is a great Bible to teach out of instead of just read. This price includes the app since it's free to download. 




Recommended?
Well worth it! We do recommend the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App and will probably be purchasing it in the future as a gift for friends and family. 









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