LATVIA, January 9, 2007 — A locally-produced Children’s Bible has hit the market in a country where, until now, most Children’s Bibles have been translations from other languages. This eye-catching new product is the culmination of a project launched several years ago by the Latvian Bible Society.
Having decided to publish a Children’s Bible featuring pictures painted by local children, the Bible Society launched a competition in autumn 2002 entitled My Favourite Bible Story. By the time the competition closed six months later, 650 children from a wide range of religious and ethnic backgrounds had submitted paintings illustrating many different Bible stories, along with written comments about why their chosen story appealed to them.
“The comments were very interesting,” says General Secretary the Rev Dr Valdis Teraudkalns, “as they expressed not only how children see (or have been taught to see) the Bible message, but also their longings and wishes.”
Some 50 paintings were selected to appear in the resulting full-colour Children’s Bible, which was designed by Agata Muze. Bible texts were adapted for children by Laila Cakare and are accompanied by prayers and by questions to prompt further reflection.
The Children’s Bible was launched on December 15 at the central Riga premises of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration, a government institution which has become a close partner of the Bible Society. The Minister for Children and Family Affairs, the Rev Ainars Bastiks, who is also a member of the Bible Society Board, delivered the opening speech, and greetings were also given by Board Chairman the Rev Ojars Incenbergs.
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