Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Book Review :: Color Code Bible, NKJV

When I first saw the cover image for the Color Code Bible, it brought to mind the Rainbow Study Bible that I remember my cousin having when we were younger, so it sparked my interest. If you have seen the Rainbow Study Bible, you know that the pages are filled with color - so much color that (in my opinion) you may start to gloss over the idea that color is even there...because it is everywhere. That is not the case with the Color Code Bible. The Color Code Bible is primarily black text on white pages, but there are some verses throughout the Bible highlighted with a color-blocked background. (The text remains black throughout, including the words of Christ.) 

The Color Code Bible is the NKJV version of the Bible (© 1982). The hardcover version of the Color Code Bible includes a ribbon bookmark and has a slight metallic shimmer on the hard cover image, but it is still neutral enough to be enjoyed by anyone. There is also a version available in imitation leather, which I have not seen in person.
The colors in the Color Code Bible are all linked to themes:
Green: Spiritual Growth/Living Your Faith
Blue: Prayer/Praise
Purple: Heaven
Gold: God
Red: Jesus
Navy: Sin/Evil
Orange: Cleansed of Sin/New Life

There is a fairly even distribution of colored verses between the Old Testament and New Testament within each of the seven topics. In addition to being color coded, there are introductions to the seven themes at the front of the Color Code Bible. There are other helpful sections at the front of the Color Code Bible as well, such as: "What is the Bible?", "Who Wrote the Bible?", "Why Should You Read the Bible?", "Your Color Code Bible", "Why Did God Send Us the Bible?", "About the New King James Version®", "Daily Bible Reading Plans" (with 4 different reading plans), and "The Color Code Bible Highlighted Scripture Index". These sections are all well done and written in a way that is easy to read. Each book of the Bible also has a short introduction section - introducing the author, time, key verse, and theme of the book. 

At the end of the Color Code Bible is a "My Bible Journal" section. The first page of this section has a place to record family (parents, grandparents, and siblings). After the first page, there are approximately 20 lined pages with prompts such as: "My Favorite Bible Verses", "My Favorite Songs & Hymns", "My Favorite Bible Stories", "My Favorite Foods", "My Favorite Pets", "My Favorite Games", "My Favorite Shows & Movies", "My Prayer Requests", and "Notes". There are also 4 full-color maps at the back of the Color Code Bible.

I think the Color Code Bible has just enough of the "extras" to be intriguing and to encourage study without being overwhelming or distracting for young minds.
FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

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