Welcome to Carrots! I'm so glad you're back. You can sign up for my email newsletter here to stay in touch, or look me up on Instagram!
This post is sponsored by the Sacred Art Series from Bloomfield Books. All opinions are my own.
I love to fill our home with sacred art. It’s important to Daniel and I to create an environment of beauty for our kids. And we want there to be images in our home that help them learn about our Christian faith.
We have tons of great and beautiful picture books about the saints but when it comes to children’s Bibles, it’s nearly impossible to find one that doesn’t paraphrase and end up changing the meaning of the scriptural text (or includes only short selections of Scripture).
And then there’s the problem with the illustrations. Oh my. When there’s a vast treasure trove of incredible Christian art to choose from, children’s Bibles often have cringe-worthy illustrations. However, I know that illustrations really help the Bible come alive for my kids, so I want to have some, but not ugly cartoony ones. It’s a conundrum.
But apparently I’m not alone. Will Bloomfield of Bloomfield Books felt the same way and came up with a wonderful solution. He chose stunning images of sacred art to illustrate The Holy Gospels of Saint Luke and Saint John. It includes the complete text of the Gospels of Luke and John in a large easy-to-read font, beautifully bound.
I loved it right off, but I decided to try it out on my kids and see how they reacted to the text and images. Because who knows? Maybe kids do love cartoony images. So we cracked it open the other night and I read the first few chapters from St. Luke’s Gospel. Immediately, my six-year-old and three-year-old started commenting on how much they loved the pictures and how beautiful they were. We ended up having some great conversations about the passages and the art because the images really sparked their imaginations and they asked tons of questions. So definitely a win. I think it’s perfect for family Scripture reading.
Will and his wife Anna have also created gorgeous flipbooks to accompany praying the Rosary. The Sacred Art Series Rosary Flipbook includes 15 gorgeous images paired with each of the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. The Luminous Mysteries Flipbook supplements the original Rosary Flipbook and includes images by two of my favorites, Giotto and Fra Angelico.
I think they will really help the mysteries of the Rosary come alive for the kids. But sacred art isn’t just helpful for children, it’s helpful for all of us as visual creatures who are drawn to beauty.
Disclosure: This review/giveaway is sponsored by the Sacred Art Series from Bloomfield Books. All opinions are my own.
I love the 8×10 Rosary Flip Book because, let’s face it, not only are my kids distracted but I am easily distracted when praying the rosary nowadays. I think this would help keep my mind grounded and focused on the mysteries. I wish the luminous mysteries were included, but it looks like they have a separate book for them.
The Rosary Flip Book is beautiful but I really love the Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John. I can see that catching the attention of my older kids
My favorite product is the rosary flip book. What a wonderful resource to use while saying the rosary to not only meditate individually, but to help children visualize the mysteries as they’re praying as a family.
These books are beautiful!! I would love to give these to a friend of mine who has an 8-month old so she can grow up with beautiful scripture art!
The Rosary flip book. I’ve actually had my eye on it for awhile! I really think it would help our little ones when we pray (ages 5, 3 tomorrow!, and 10 months). Thanks for the ideas!
The illustrated Gospels are lovely, and I’d love one to add to our Family Oratory bookshelf!
The illustrated Gospels are just stunning!
Ooooh, I remember them from when they did a giveaway on LMLD. I just love the idea so much! Now I am going to go cry in that corner, because I live in Europe and can’t get them. Boo-hoo-hooooooooooooooo!
The rosary flip book is beautiful. It would really help to focus on the mysteries. Love it!
i myself struggle to focus during the rosary, so that flip book would be great for this 31 year old kid
Love the illustrated gospels! Our children’s Bible is pretty meh when it comes to the writing…
Beautiful!! I love the flip books so much!
Love the rosary flip book! This might help my boys pay more attention!
I really love the flip book! I’m expecting in October and think this would be an awesome way to introduce and pray the rosary with my little one.
I love them all, but I think I love the Rosary flip books the most. Being a former Protestant myself, I have always had difficulty latching onto praying the Rosary. I think the visual illustrations would really help me in my meditation on the mysteries.
I love the idea of the rosary flipbook! It would really help me stay focused on the mysteries.
Wonderful to see beautiful art presented to children bringing faith to life. I look forward to sharing these books with grandchildren! I love the rosary flip books but I think I would start with the Gospels!
Would love the Rosary flip book to use as a family!
I saw the Rosary flip book a few months ago on another blog (maybe Kendra’s?) and immediately fell in love with it! Would love to win one!
The illustrated gospels are amazing! I hope they come out with the other two gospels soon!
These are beautiful. I’m definitely want one for my kids.
I love the rosary flip books!
Rosary flip book hands down! I’ve been looking for something like it as we are trying to get in the habit of a family rosary.
I love the rosary flipbooks! Perfect to display as art on the family altar and wonderful for focusing the mind while praying the rosary!
Both of these items look wonderful!
I love them all! But right now if I had to choose just one I would go with the Gospels. I love the artwork and am super excited that they use the Douay-Rheims translation! My favorite!
The flip books are my favorite! What a unique and beautiful resource to have for children (and adults!) I love that they are both art and a useful reminder for wandering eyes and minds for a young family praying together!
Love this so much! Would love to have these for my boys.
this looks beautiful! I am also not a fan of cartoon scripture. Children can appreciate beauty and need more exposure to it, not watered down replacements!!
These are beautiful. My favorite has to be the illustrated gospels, though. My kids are just at the age where we’re able to read chapter books together, but beautiful pictures would really help hold their interest. (And I admit I’d love it just to go read by myself!)
The Rosary Flipbook would really bring the mysteries to life and help keep focused!
Wow, their products are beautiful!! I really love the gospels book, but the Rosary flip book is a close second. I can see how it would help my kiddos focus more during prayer.
I love the Rosary Flip Book! What a great tool to use while praying the rosary with your children!
These are beautiful. I love the illustrated gospels!
Those illustrated gospels!!
The rosary flipbook is beautiful! I love having something to look at/meditate on during prayer.
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! I really love the Rosary flip-books.
The illustrated gospel flipbook is a lovely tool for guiding pre-literate kids and also grown ups with too many words in their day already.
I love the Gospels! BUT…those Rosary Flip books are amazing!!
Oh I have been eyeing the Rosary flip book; would love to win one!
Everything looks great, but I’m most intrigued by the Gospel Illustrated by Duccio
I love the illustrated Gospels!
I love the rosary!
I love the Rosary flip book! So beautiful!
That rosary flip book would be awesome to have!
Luke is my favorite gospel, so I’d love to have one of these illustrated copies!
I like the Rosary flip books because they can be a constant reminder for us even when we’re not praying the rosary. And they look tough enough to withstand life in a house with 3 boys.
If you pass through Kansas City or Chicago during your trip, be sure to stop at the art museums! They both have incredible collections of sacred art–and the one in KC is free!
The Rosary Flip book would help me stay more focused on the mysteries! And I bet my kids would love to take turns flipping the pictures.
It would be great to have such beautiful compilations of sacred art in our home!
I like the illustrated gospels!
I love this! The flip book is definitely my favorite though, my goodness, The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John is gorgeous, too.
Seriously, what a brilliant idea!
Wow! All the products are beautiful, but I especially love the idea of the illustrated Gospels. What a lovely and meaningful way to enhance the text with real, beautiful, sacred images!
These are beautifully awesome. I really like the rosary flip books. My daughter has autism and is very visual, so something like this may help to keep her focused.
How lovely! What a wonderful idea!
I would love a rosary flip book of the Luminous Mysteries. I feel that is the one my kids have the hardest time with and pictures would be so helpful. They are such beautiful pictures too.
I love the Rosary flip book. What a great way to keep everyone focused on the mysteries that we’re praying about.
I love Caravaggio, so I’d love to have a family Gospel with his illustrations.
I love the rosary flip books. Not only great for prayer, but for educating the kids, developing their Catholic imaginations, and adding some variety to the little oratory.
I would LOVE to have a copy of the illustrated Gospels to use in my classroom!
I looooove the rosary flip book! I teach CCD and that would be perfect to have for my class. It would look great on our prayer table too
Love it!! What a great idea for the flip book. Never thought about that!
I’d love the illustrated Gospels!
I love the Gospels book!! I’d love to get that for my little ones. And I’m totally with you – be gone mediocre cartoon catechesis! Thanks Haley!
Hmmmm….I guess the rosary book! Hard choice though!
Thank you for introducing me to these awesome items!
I think at the moment the flip book might be my favorite because my oldest cant read yet and is just starting to become aware enough that I want to teach her moer about the rosary than just the hail Mary.
Though the gospel books would make awesome additions to my mass bag.
…..and they’ll be good future gifts for godchildren.
Thanks for sharing!
I love the Rosary flipbooks. But I also love the Holy Gospels. I can’t decide! I want them all lol!
They are both beautiful! I would love to read the gospels with the artwork to go along with it.
Those Rosary flip books are lovely. I’m thinking the Luminous one is my fave.
How is it that no one made this before? Gorgeous, I would like any of them.
Rosary Flip Books!!
I seriously love them all. So beautiful! If I had to choose, I would probably pick a rosary flip book or the gospel of St. John as a first communion gift.
The rosary flip book is perfect for our family!!
I love the Rosary flip book. My kids are really little…but my son does love looking at his (cartoonish!) Bible for Little Ones with the strangely blonde Jesus.
Love the Latin edition of the gospel of St. John
Ooh I’m really excited about the Rosary Flip Book!
I love the Rosary flip book and am impressed with how affordable it is! Free would be even cheaper, though…
The rosary flip book!
The Rosary Flip Book seems amazing! It would definitely help visualize as we pray The Rosary.
Those Rosary flipbooks are so gorgeous, thanks for the great post Haley!
We recently re-did our family altar to have specific patron saint images for our kids. I be beyond excited if you checked it out:
https://ifwp.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/favorite-places-the-altar/
I love the 8×10 rosary flip book! I think it would be a great addition to our home!
Those look perfect.
I love the Rosary flip book! I’ve been looking for something exactly like this to help with concentration during the family Rosary.
The illustrated gospels are awesome! I studied art history in college, and I loved how the images (especially Giotto’s and Botticelli’s) helped explain out faith in a tangible way.
Favorite item? The rosary flip book! What a great idea!
The rosary flip book is my favorite. Though the illustrated gospels are beautiful too!
Love the Gospels of St Luke and St John
Both items are beautiful! Would love win either the gospels or the flip book–either would add to our family’s faith life.
I just love the illustrated Gospels! My two oldest boys would really enjoy them I think
Ohhhh…I love the flip books!
Rosary flip book for sure, anything to keep my little men with their 5 second attention spans engaged!
My wife and I both love to say the Rosary and meditate on the mysteries. When we were at seminary we had some lovely images of the BVM to use in the chapel (including Our Lady of Walsingham!) but we don’t have much beyond an icon or two of her now. I love the beauty and clarity of the images in the rosary flip book, and the concept is very attractive both for devotion and catechesis.
My husband and I love the rosary flip book! We have been trying to work the rosary into our family schedule a bit more, and this would be such gorgeous motivation!
I think the Rosary flip book would be awesome! Thanks for introducing me to this business.
Beautiful pictures, it is interesting to think about what my one year old might enjoy versus what is geared for her.
I definitely think meditating on the rosary with art would be fruitful for me…kind of like walking the stations of the Cross in a way.
Wow, that Rosary Flip book is just beautiful and such a wonderful idea to help both adults and children meditate during the Rosary! Thanks for hosting such an awesome giveaway.
I love the gospel of John- letting my kids visualize what Jesus said and did is a teaching tool that makes it real!
I can’t choose! But the Rosary Flip Book is such a great idea!
I’ve been interested in their Rosary Flip Books for quite a while now. It’s so easy to let the mind wander, and they seem like they would help keep the focus so beautifully.
The rosary flip book looks wonderful!
The Gospels are stunning! I also love that they sell a Latin Vulgate edition of John.
The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John are beautiful!!
The rosary flip books are my favorite! I love the idea of having a visual to meditate on while praying.
I have been looking for something just like the rosary flip book! I’ve been trying to figure out if I could print out images, how I would use them…this solves so many problems for me
Great ideas for sharing the faith with kids! Love it!
I love both of these! I was so frustrated when I went to the Catholic bookstore looking for books for my 5 year old and all of them had cheesy cartoon pics. Unbelievable with so much amazing Catholic art. I’m thrilled to see both of these items and hope to see more in the future!
The flip books look amazing! What a great idea!
LOVE the Rosary Flip Books! What a great idea to keep young ones’ minds engaged while praying!
These look awesome!!
Love the rosary flip book and having beautiful pictures to meditate on while praying.
I bet my four year old would love these pictures and books! I might try this with the family rosary to help center her more.
I would love the illustrated Gospel book!
So beautiful! The Holy Gospels are absolutely stunning!
They’re all wonderful! But I have to say I got really excited when I read how you feel about children’s bibles, the paraphrasing, and the cartoon art. I feel the same way, so the gospels with real art would be incredible. I’m sure my kiddos (well, the older one so far) would love it as she still likes to look at a board book we have that is full of Fra Angelico!
I love the Rosary flip book. I bet it would be great in helping better keep the focus on each Mystery during prayer!
I love those rosary flipbooks! So perfect for helping little ones focus on the true and the beautiful.
The gospels volume is lovely.
Love the rosary flip book, especially as someone newer to the faith and trying to incorporate more into my family’s faith life at home.
The rosary flipbooks are awesome. What a fantastic idea.
Love the Holy Gospels!
The gospels are so beautiful! These would be treasured in our home.
Rosary flip book for the win!
I love the flipbooks- what beautiful pictures!
What exciting products!! As a certified nerd I am sincerely torn between the different items, but I think I have to go with the illustrated Gospel books. I am sponsoring one of students for Confirmation this year and I think she would love it.
I’m a fan of the illustrated gospels
Too hard to choose!
I love the Rosary flip book and would totally use them myself! What beautiful tools they could be for any age!
I’m pretty sure that rosary flip book would be as useful for me as it would kiddos!
The rosary flip book would be a great focal point during family prayer time!
I would love the Rosary flipbooks!
These are beautiful and just what I’ve been looking for. Thank you.
Both beautiful… But would def choose the gospels book right now. Currently in a small bible study on lectio divina and think this would be a great addition!!
I’d love a copy of Luke and John’s gospels! I’ve been wanting and looking for something like this to read to my little boy (and other children, someday, Lord willing!). There is definitely a lack of books like this for children—so glad someone did something about it!
I like the rosary flip books. We try to pray a family rosary together, but don’t do it as often as we should.I think this would really help the kids tie together the “why” behind the rosary and the mysteries.
What a beautiful book of the Gospels! I would love to read this with my family. Thanks Haley.
Love it!
I would love The Holy Gospels of St. Luke and St. John! It looks so beautiful and reverent!
I think I need this flip book more than my kids!
I’ve been admiring the Rosary Flip Books for a while! I think that’s my favorite..
Love the Rosary Flip book. I think that would be a great thing for our family to use. And, it doubles as beautiful artwork to display! Win win
Rosary flipbook(s), for sure! I can see these as being useful with my religious ed classes (6th grade), as well as my own daughter as she grows.