Tell Me the Story – Book 1: In the Beginning by Ochorus Originals

Name: Tell Me the Story – Book 1: In the Beginning
Author: Ochorus Originals

About this book

Tell Me the Story is an original Ochorus storybook Bible for children aged 6 to 10, in eight books and three parts: Old Testament Stories, The Life of Jesus, and New Testament Stories. Its name comes from Katherine Hankey’s hymn “Tell Me the Old, Old Story”. God is the hero of every story, and the whole Bible is one story that leads to Jesus.

Book 1, “In the Beginning”, tells twenty-one stories from Genesis, from creation to Joseph forgiving his brothers. Each takes about four minutes to read aloud. It opens with a verse from the Bible and ends with a short prayer. Where the New Testament itself links a story to Jesus, as John 1:51 does with Jacob’s stairway, a line says so.

The stories stay close to what the Bible says, and the people in them say what the Bible says they said, in simple words. Hard stories, like Cain and Abel, the flood and Abraham on the mountain, are told honestly but gently. Under each story are three questions to talk about together, with answers for the grown-up reading along, and the passage to find in your own Bible.

Contents · 22 chapters · 57 min read

Questions and Answers

What is Tell Me the Story?

A storybook Bible for children aged 6 to 10, in eight books: three of Old Testament Stories, three on the life of Jesus, and two of New Testament Stories. Each story is short enough to read aloud at bedtime and ends with a prayer and three questions to talk about together.

Which stories are in Book 1?

Twenty-one stories from Genesis: creation, the garden, the snake's trick, Cain and Abel, Noah, the rainbow, the tower of Babel, Abram setting out, counting the stars, Sarah laughing, Hagar and the God who sees, Abraham on the mountain, Rebekah at the well, Jacob and Esau, Jacob's stairway, Jacob wrestling, and five stories of Joseph.

Does it change what the Bible says?

No. The stories are retold in simple words, but they add no events, characters or speeches the Bible doesn't give. Every verse quoted with its reference is word for word from the Berean Standard Bible.

Are the hard stories suitable for young children?

They are told honestly but gently, without frightening detail. Cain and Abel, the flood and Abraham on the mountain are each told in a sentence or two, and then the story turns to what God did. The questions help a grown-up talk them through.

How does it point to Jesus?

Where the New Testament itself links an Old Testament story to Jesus, such as Jacob's stairway (John 1:51) or the lamb God provided (John 1:29), the story ends with a short "Looking ahead to Jesus" line. Where the New Testament makes no link, the story doesn't force one.

Can it be read aloud?

Yes, that is what it is written for. Each story takes about four minutes to read aloud. Each chapter also has a Listen button that reads the story at a gentle speed and then asks the three questions.