February 2007

Contents of this issue of the Joan K. Snipes e-newsletter:

- Reviews of books and CDs on amazon.com;
- Reviews for 95 Animals of the Bible, Old Noah's Elephants, and The Bible and Its Influence;
- Bible song: Pharaoh, Pharaoh, sung to the tune of Louie, Louie;
- A new booklet available free (as a PDF file) to newsletter subscribers;
- Upcoming Bible workshops in Washington, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.

Dear Readers,

Over the years I have benefited greatly from book reviews written by others. There are so many children’s storybooks and Bible reference books available, that it may be difficult for a student of the Bible to know which would be most helpful.

One of the features of my Bible workshops and these e-newsletters is a focus on books. I point parents and teachers to quality Bible picture books for children. I also explain why I like certain Bible reference books. I have been educating myself about the Bible for over thirty years. My primary resource has been books. I have quite a collection of Bible books in my home, plus I have access to other great books at the Presbyterian Church and the University library in my town.

Because I like to give workshop participants an opportunity to look at some of the Bible books I use and love, I buy a fair number of books each year. Most of them come from used bookstores or from www.amazon.com. I am a huge fan of amazon, and I have posted thirty-four reviews of Bible-related products on their site. These reviews are publicly available at no cost. (You can purchase the books anywhere you like.) Most of the reviews are for books that I highly recommend. Here is an alphabetical list, by author, of these books and CDs.

Amazon book and CD reviews (34 items, as of February 2007)

For children:

1. Armstrong, Carole. Women of the Bible: With Paintings From the Great Art Museums of the World
2. Auld, Mary. David and Goliath
3. Auld, Mary. Jacob and Esau
4. Berg, Jean Horton. The Good Samaritan
5. Buck, Nola. Christmas in the Manger
6. Buck, Pearl S. The Story Bible
7. Egermeier, Elsie. Egermeier’s Bible Story Book
8. French, Fiona. Easter
9. Halperin, Wendy. Love is…
10. Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman. Kid’s Bible Story Book
11. Johnson, Nancy. 95 Animals of the Bible
12. Lindbergh, Reeve. On Morning Wings
13. Lloyd-Jones, Sally. Illustrations by Moroney, Tracey. Noah’s Ark (Little Bible Playbooks)
14. Ludwig, Warren. Old Noah’s Elephants (two reviews for paperback and hardback)
15. Miner, Julia. The Shepherd’s Song: The Twenty-Third Psalm
16. Ray, Jane. The Story of the Creation
17. Spier, Peter. The Book of Jonah
18. Stories from the Bible (A Michael Neugebauer Book) Illustrations by Lisbeth Zwerger
19. Tudor, Tasha. The Lord Is My Shepherd
20. Water, Mark. The Pilgrim Book of Bible Stories
21. Wildsmith, Brian. Exodus
22. Wilner, Isabel. B is for Bethlehem

For adults:

1. Bundesen, Lynne. So the Woman Went Her Way: A Personal Journey
2. Darling, Frank C. The Apostle Paul and Christian Healing: A History and Interpretation
3. Dore, Gustave. The Dore Bible Illustrations
4. Gehman, Henry Snyder. The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible
5. Keller, Werner. The Bible as History in Pictures
6. Landis, Benson. Outline of the Bible Book by Book
7. Meyers, Carol. Women in Scripture
8. Nicolson, Adam. God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible
9. Schippe, Cullen. The Bible and its Influence
10. Shotwell, Berenice. Getting Better Acquainted With Your Bible

CDs:

Sand, David. Coat of Many Colors.

The Many Voices of One Nation Under God. (Songs by Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, “Duke” Ellington, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Sr., Leonard Slatkin and others.) Peter Allen compiled this wonderful collection.

To get to the list of my reviews, you need to go to my profile on amazon. There, you will see a photo of me with a falcon. The photo was taken at a Principia Adult Continuing Education (PACE) program at the Greenbrier in West Virginia a few years ago.

See Joan K. Snipes's Profile
Joan K. Snipes
Shepherdstown, WV

Three new book reviews

Johnson, Nancy P. 95 Animals of the Bible. Illustrated by Lloyd R. Hight. Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, Inc., 1997.

What a colorful, delightful book this is. The first page delves into the adder. Psalm 58:4 notes, in regard to the wicked: “Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear.”

One of the last animals featured in the book is “wolf.” Johnson explains that shepherds feared wolves because they would attack and kill sheep for food. A sample quote is from Luke 10:3: “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” The context is where Christ Jesus sent forth seventy disciples, “two and two.”

In the pages in-between, you’ll learn about beetles, chameleons, eagles, lizards, peacocks, snails, weasels, and many other animals. Although this book is intended for children, I think any Bible lover would enjoy it and learn much by reading it. The illustrations are excellent, and the book’s design is wonderful. Each page features one animal, with a Bible quote from the King James Version, a drawing, and an explanation. I highly recommend this book.

Ludwig, Warren. Old Noah's Elephants: An Israeli folktale. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1991.

Although this folktale is not from the Bible, it is a lighthearted look at life inside the ark. It has very appealing illustrations. I first heard of this book last fall from a workshop participant in Beaverton, Oregon.

The Bible and Its Influence, Student Text; Publisher: Bible Literacy Project (Hardcover)
by Cullen Schippe (Editor), Chuck Stetson

This wonderful textbook, intended for use by high school students, contains much background information on the Bible. These details not only give the stories of the Bible context but also show their relevance to today. I have been a student of the Bible all my life, yet I learned new things reading this book. The examples of biblical art and the sidebars on cultural connections are especially interesting. For those who teach teens in Sunday School, this 388-page book is a very helpful guide.

Bible song

The song I am featuring in this edition is entitled Pharaoh, Pharaoh. Kids really love this Bible song; it is THE perennial favorite at Shepherdstown’s Community Bible School each August. I wish everyone of you could observe a sanctuary full of scores of children and volunteer teachers belting this out, complete with hand motions. It is delightful and hilarious!

Unfortunately, I do not know of any commercial recordings of this song. However, if you are familiar with the 1960’s rock classic, Louie Louie, it is easy to learn. If you have trouble singing it, please give me a call, and I’ll sing it to you over the phone.

Pharaoh, Pharaoh

(sung to the rock tune of Louie, Louie)

Chorus:
Pharaoh, Pharaoh,
Oooooohhh baby,
Let my people go,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (2 times)

Well, the burning bush told me just the other day
That I should come over here and pray.
I got to get my people out of Egypt's hands
And get them across to the Promised Land.

I said: (Chorus)

Well, me and God's people coming to the Red Sea
And Pharaoh's army's coming right after me.
I took my rod, stuck it in the sand
And all of God's people walked on dry land.

I said: (Chorus)

Well, Pharaoh’s army's coming out there too.
So what do you think that I did do?
I took my rod, and I cleared my throat
And all Pharaoh’s army did the dead man's float.

Chorus: 4 times

New booklet available, plus e-newsletter subscription info

In December I published a new 46-page booklet. Entitled Exploring the Bible: Essays, Worksheets and Resources, Volume 2, this booklet is a compilation of three years worth of information that first appeared in my e-newsletters from December 2003 through October 2006.

Newsletter subscribers may request, for personal use, a PDF copy of the booklet (which comes as an email attachment) at no cost. If you'd prefer that we send a printed softbound copy to you or a friend, the cost is $10 each plus $2 shipping.

A variety of topics are included in the new booklet, including: Jesus' reliance on the Hebrew Scriptures, Amos's plumbline, archaeology, mountains, biblical literacy, gift ideas, and the epistle by James. In addition to the essays, I have book reviews, the words to some fun Bible songs, and two Bible worksheets. There are numerous hypertext links to interesting Bible sites on the Internet.

So, if you'd like your free PDF file, please let us know.

The cost to subscribe to my Bible e-newsletter for 2007 (which is sent by email six times a year) is $10.

To pay for Volume 2 of Exploring the Bible or to subscribe to my e-newsletter:

1) Please send checks payable to: Bible Teaching Press, 1070 Willowdale Dr., Shepherdstown, WV 25443, or
2) Send an email to snipes@principia.edu requesting a PayPal invoice.

Bible workshops

I will be giving workshops in Jacksonville, Florida; Bothell, Washington; Denver, Colorado; and Crystal Lake Camps in Pennsylvania during the next few months. When dates, locations, and other details are firm, I’ll post them under Religion Events at www.authorsden.com/joanksnipes

Churches on the west coast interested in hosting a Bible workshop will save substantially on travel expenses if they can schedule a date during April and May of 2007.

Yours truly,

Joan Koelle Snipes

Volume 7 No. 1
Published six times a year by:
Bible Teaching Press
1070 Willowdale Drive
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
home: 304-876-1332
cell: 410-948-1055

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND EMAIL ADDRESS CHANGES
The cost to subscribe to this e-newsletter is $10 per calendar year. You may subscribe at any time. Please pay via PayPal or send a check to: Bible Teaching Press, 1070 Willowdale Drive, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. Please notify me when your email address changes.

THAT YE MAY TEACH THE CHILDREN
To read the preface, introduction and bibliography of my book, That Ye May Teach the Children, click http://tinyurl.com/2wsom To order the book for $29.95, please send me a reply email. For those who have already purchased a copy, there is a discount for additional copies -- only $20.00 each, postpaid.

BOOKLETS AVAILABLE
Exploring the Bible: Essays, Worksheets and Resources, Volumes 1 and 2 are available from Bible Teaching Press. Both are compilations of essays by Joan K. Snipes. Volume 1 is a 45-page booklet and is a compilation of material written in the first 17 issues of this e-newsletter. The information has been reorganized, slightly rewritten, and edited. A two-page table of contents makes finding specific information easy. Volume 2 is described above. Both booklets are printed on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and bound in a simple folder. The cost is $10.00 per booklet plus $2.00 shipping via first class mail for the first copy and $1.00 for each additional copy. Booklets are also available as a PDF file for $5. each. To order, please send me a reply email.

SHARING THIS E-NEWSLETTER
Subscribers to this e-newsletter may share copies with others whom they know will be interested.

ARCHIVED E-NEWSLETTERS
To read the first 31 issues of my archived e-newsletters on the Internet, please visit:
http://www.authorsden.com/joanksnipes

ARTICLES ON JOAN’S WEBPAGE
- A Christmas Version of I Corinthians 13
- Bible Picture Books and Story Books for Children
- James K. Wallace: The Basque Sheepherder and the Shepherd Psalm
- Using music to advance Bible literacy
- Egypt and the Bible
Please see www.authorsden.com/joanksnipes