Contact:
Lindsey Rodarmer
(616) 698-3332
lindsey.rodarmer@zondervan.com
Bestselling children’s Bible marks two decades with new CarbonNeutral® format
Grand Rapids, MI, Sept. 25, 2009 — It started as an idea for an easy-to-read children’s Bible more than two decades ago, and today The Beginner's Bible® is celebrating over six million copies sold as well as an entire line of book products and consistent spots on industry bestseller lists. This September, Zonderkidz, the children’s division of Zondervan, and Mission City Press, The Beginner's Bible® brand owner based in Franklin, Tenn., are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the bestselling story Bible for children and The Beginner's Bible® family of resources, which has something for every age and stage of early childhood development.
“Zonderkidz is honored to publish a family of The Beginner's Bible® resources that have inspired millions of young lives,” says Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher for Zonderkidz. “With easy-to-read text and friendly, colorful artwork, The Beginner's Bible® is a first step in the faith journey of millions of young children.”
As part of the 20th year celebration, The Beginner's Bible® will be printed in a new CarbonNeutral® format, available beginning in summer 2010.
“Because we sell many copies of The Beginner's Bible® every year, this storybook Bible has the greatest, single impact of any of our titles on the environment. We felt that there was no better way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Beginner's Bible® than by helping to protect the environment in new ways for future generations,” Bourland says.
“We are proud to celebrate our 20th anniversary of inspiring children and families to learn favorite Bible stories in such a warm, engaging, and kid-friendly way,” says Sandi Shelton, president of Mission City Press. “When The Beginner's Bible® was released 20 years ago, it was truly a ground-breaking product. It made the Bible approachable for children. It provided a creative way for parents to give their children a simple overview of the entire Bible, and it made reading the Bible together a fun and fulfilling family experience. Two decades later, The Beginner's Bible® is as popular and compelling as ever—especially for parents in their twenties who remember it as their first Bible and are now buying it for their own children.”
History of The Beginner's Bible®
The Beginner's Bible® began as the “Dovetales” series of Bible story booklets, created by Don and Chris Wise of Performance Unlimited in 1985. On Sept. 15, 1989, this series of story booklets, aimed at children ages 6 and younger, was repackaged into a single-volume book that was published under The Beginner's Bible® name. The Beginner's Bible®, as it is known today, officially debuted to The Association for Christian Retail (CBA) in summer of 1989, becoming an instant bestseller.
In February 2005, The Beginner's Bible® was released with updates based on the latest educational research of learning styles for children ages 6 and under. New stories were included to help children absorb more core Bible lessons, and the artwork was revamped from cover to cover with new techniques, including computer air-brushed color.
“The 2005 reprint brought The Beginner's Bible® characters and stories to life in a brand-new way,” Shelton says. “The updated edition (like its predecessor) has been on the bestseller list every single month since its publication. It also received a 2006 CBA Retailer’s Choice Award winner for Children’s Non-fiction.”
The Beginner's Bible® (ISBN: 978-0-310-70962-6, $16.99, hardcover) includes more than 90 bible stories. It is available in 20 languages worldwide and is the #1 bestselling story Bible since its release in 1989. Other resources in The Beginner's Bible® family include English and bilingual I Can Read™ books, full-text Bibles, Lift-the-Flap books and more.
“The Beginner's Bible® supports parents and educators who are guiding their children through early spiritual growth,” Bourland says. “We hear feedback from so many educators around the world who are using The Beginner's Bible® resources to teach young children all about God’s word.”
For more information about the full line of The Beginner's Bible® resources available for every age and stage of development, and for more information about Mission City Press, please visit www.BeginnersBible.com.
About Illustrator Kelly Pulley
Kelly Pulley has illustrated scores of The Beginner's Bible® titles for over ten years. He started his career as an artist working on licensed character T-shirts for an apparel company and currently lives in Tennessee.
“I’ve been blessed to be able to work on so many books in The Beginner's Bible® family of products over the past decade,” Pulley says. “I’ve always strived to create artwork that kids will enjoy, full of fun, bright colors and characters they can relate to—to create art that is as much fun to look at as the message is important to learn.”
About Mission City Press
Mission City Press provides non-denominational Christian print, gift and toy products that help young people develop a strong foundation of faith in God. The company has three extensive product lines for children: The Beginner’s Bible, which brings the timeless stories of the Bible to life for preschool age children; Faith & Friends, which provides fun, adorable contemporary dolls and books that inspire girls ages 6-10 to engage in play that brings faith to life; and A Life of Faith, which uses the life stories of fictional girls living in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to help today’s 8- through 14-year-old girls learn to live a lifestyle of faith. Find out more about Mission City Press and its products at www.MissionCityPress.com.
Zondervan, a
HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and the leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego and Miami, Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling
Bibles,
books,
audio,
video,
curriculum,
software, and
digital products through its
Zondervan,
eZondervan,
Zonderkidz,
Youth Specialties,
Editorial Vida, and
National Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by
Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at
www.zondervan.com (mobile site:
zvan.mobi).
Zonderkidz™, a division of
Zondervan, inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children's communications, it produces bestselling and award-winning
Bibles,
books,
board books,
graphic novels,
audio,
video, and
digital products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 16 and the people who love them, from family members to educators. Zonderkidz is the publisher of the
NIrV (New International Reader's Version) Bible translation, the 3rd-grade reading level edition of the
NIV that is ideal for children and those who speak English as a second language. Visit Zonderkidz on the Internet at
www.zonderkidz.com.
