What's Unique About the Discovery Bible

Many kids’ Bibles claim to be different. Maybe they have different illustrations, offer different bonus content, feature a different translation, or are geared towards a different age range. But many of them use stock images, refresh the design of “did you know” boxes, or add updated graphics for an audience of the current generation. So how do you create a kids’ Bible that is truly unique?  

We built the Discovery Bible to fulfill the need for a full-text Bible for kids rich with new content and accented with beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations. Working with illustrator Johann Strauss and using the content from Dave Strehler's The Bible Made Easy for Kids, our team spent more than two years combining the full NLT text with original artwork, infographics, character profiles, and maps — aiming to take the best of what other kids' Bibles offer to bring it together in one resource. 

The Discovery Bible was built around three characteristics meant to distinguish it from other children’s Bibles: it doesn't talk down to kids, the art is hand-drawn and original, and the whole text is built as one connected system rather than a Bible with extras bolted on. Here’s why each of those aspects matters. 

Not Talking Down to Kids

Most children's content defaults to simplifying words, phrases, and ideas so that children don’t have to deal with any confusion. With the Bible, this means that sometimes chapters of the Bible are summarized in story form with short lessons that kids can easily understand. We often underestimate the intellectual capacity of a child, assuming that sharing information with a child is better than challenging them with a question. 

However, especially in later elementary years, kids are at an age where curiosity should be encouraged. This is the developmental window when abstract reasoning starts to click, and kids can more effectively apply what they learn to their own life. When learning about Joshua and the battle of Jericho, kids are prompted to picture themselves within the story and imagine a time when they have felt like the Israelites. A question like “Have you ever asked God to do something that seemed impossible, or has He asked you to do something like that?” pulls kids into the story and connects Joshua’s circumstances to their own.  

A child who is asked an open-ended question about how they’ve experienced God working in impossible circumstances is going to make text-to-life connections far more easily than one who is told what to think. When reading Philippians 4:13, a call-out box encourages children to think about the strength Paul describes not as a superpower, but as an inner strength from God to persevere despite many obstacles. This content box explains the context of this verse to children in a way that’s helpful but not informational, functioning as a framework to guide their thinking rather than a cage to box their perspective in.  

Throughout the Bible, content and questions help children see that the Bible isn’t just an ancient story relevant for ancient peoples, but the living Word of God that still speaks to us today. The best way to help kids see that the Bible matters for them is to give them the real text of God’s Word so that they feel like they belong in God’s story just as much as the adult believer next to them. We want the Discovery Bible to challenge children to grow in their faith in a way that makes them feel respected rather than coddled.  

Hand-Drawn Illustrations 

Most illustrated kids' Bibles reuse artwork from other sources or simply print stock images. What stands out about the Discovery Bible, however, are its hand-drawn images. Original artwork captivates readers more easily and offers refreshing visuals for the child who has already owned a few children’s Bibles.  

South African illustrator Johann Strauss drew everything you see inside the Discovery Bible by hand, giving visual voice to the words of the NLT Bible. Johann’s book introductions, full-page story scenes, infographics, maps, and character portraits are all built from the ground up rather than pulled from an existing library of art.  

The project ended up as an international collaboration that took more than two years. Most pages have at least one illustration, a hand-drawn icon, or content feature. These artistic additions complement the text of Scripture to give kids something to focus their gaze on.  

Art has the power to pull on the imaginations and hearts of many people, and our hope is that the drawings within the Discovery Bible encourage kids to reflect more deeply on Scripture, be more curious about the details within the text, and unite all of their senses towards a desire for Christ as they read, listen, and look.    

Original art gives a child a visual world that belongs just to this Bible. This also inspires children to think of the Discovery Bible as their very own Bible rather than just any Bible. Maybe they’ll see the trademark lamp symbol and learn to see it as an artistic choice that Johann made to remind us that God brings light wherever He goes. With original art, the Discovery Bible comes alive for young believers and helps them picture the real people and real events that are part of God’s big story.  

The Pieces Work Together

None of the tone, the art, or the content exists on its own. It’s all geared toward the same end – helping kids learn to love Jesus. All the content that’s supplemental to the text of Scripture and unique to the Discovery Bible reinforces the same three questions: Who is God? Who am I? What is God’s plan for the world? Content boxes with hand-drawn labels for “God,” “Me,” and “Big Plan” pop up every few pages so kids can easily follow the visual and thematic thread.  

That's the real difference between the Discovery Bible and a Bible with extras stapled on. A sticker added to existing content is still just a sticker. And sometimes the extra visual content in a children’s Bible can just feel distracting or confusing when related to the text. But the Discovery Bible always wants the text to speak for itself, and any drawn elements are designed to help the text speak more clearly. The drawn elements are there to get kids thinking about the common ideas that connect the whole Bible.  

Just as the hand-drawn illustrations create visual cohesion for the Bible, the three guiding questions give children thematic cohesion as they read the words of Scripture. An adult who has read the Bible since they were a child can quickly make the connection between the Passover lamb to protect the Israelite firstborn sons or see how the parables in the Gospels can give us allegorical guides from which to examine our own lives. 

A child, on the other hand, might need a little extra help drawing conclusions and applying what they learn in Scripture to their own life. That’s the goal of the thematic touch we have added to the Discovery Bible in the form of the three focus areas: God, Me, and God’s plan. When children see illustrations in the same artistic style and callout boxes that reinforce the same three main ideas, they’ll realize that every part of God’s Word tells the same story.

What This Looks Like in a Kid's Hands

Picture a ten-year-old girl opening to the beginning of the book of Ruth. Instead of a stock illustration she's seen in three other Bibles, there’s a visual summary of Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi, her work in Boaz’s field, her marriage with Boaz, and her birth of a son. Upon turning the page, she sees a full-page illustration of Ruth at the threshing floor with content boxes revealing what the book of Ruth teaches us. These lessons draw directly from the events in the story, giving kids a line of thought to follow as they apply the book of Ruth to their own lives. Hopefully, by the time they’ve finished reading Ruth, kids have a better idea of how the small book plays an important role in reminding us that God can use anybody to accomplish His plan.

Now picture her younger brother a few years from now, opening to Exodus for the first time. He sees an image of Moses and the burning bush, which Johann has chosen to creatively illustrate as a magnificent flame with each leaf inscribed with an adjective that describes God. A character profile on Moses also explains who Moses is so that by the time he reads about the 10 plagues a few pages later, he knows who is playing the important roles.  

Or picture a twelve-year-old further along still, reading Colossians for a church youth group assignment. The main feature of the introduction to this book is a map, which situates the location of Colossians and briefs young readers on why Paul wrote a letter to the church there. Throughout the book, they will see 4 call-out boxes centered around the “Me” theme that will invite kids to think deeply about who they are in Christ and how that can inform the way they live and interact with others. 

Choosing This Bible Over Everything Else Competing for Their Attention

Kids aren't choosing between this Bible and a different Bible. They're choosing between this Bible, a young adult fantasy book, or forty-five more minutes on the tablet. With beautiful, eye-catching, and thoughtful illustrations, the Discovery Bible provides a visually engaging experience for a child. Thematic consistency makes it easy for children to track what the Bible teaches, while the NLT gives them a version of the text that will take down the barriers of comprehension. 

Made to help children develop a deep love for God’s Word, the Discovery Bible gives young believers a way to encounter Scripture that will open their minds to the Truth that they can follow for all of their life.