The Bible Story (10 Volume Set)

The Bible Story retells the whole of Scripture as a continuous narrative across ten hardcover volumes — 411 stories in the order they happened, illustrated throughout in full colour. Arthur S. Maxwell wrote them to be read aloud, and generations of families have used them that way.

What’s inside The Bible Story

The decisive choice Maxwell made was sequence. Most children’s Bible collections jump between the famous stories — Noah, David, Daniel, the nativity — and leave a child with a handful of episodes and no sense of how they connect. This set runs in biblical order from creation through to Revelation.

A child who finishes it comes out knowing the storyline: that the Old Testament goes somewhere, that the prophets are answering something, that the Gospels arrive as a resolution rather than a fresh start. That is a different kind of knowledge from knowing five stories well.

The language is simple without being thin, and the story lengths suit an evening’s family worship rather than a whole sitting.

• Ten hardcover volumes, illustrated in full colour throughout
• 411 Bible stories in chronological order, Genesis to Revelation
• Story lengths built for one sitting at family worship
• Written for reading aloud
• Suits roughly ages 4 to 12, and read well past that

Who this book is for

This is a set for a household with young children, and it is most often bought for a new family, a grandchild, or a church or school library. It is a long purchase — families work through it over years rather than months.

It is also one of the most frequently handed-down titles in Adventist publishing. A significant share of the people buying it now were read to from the same set.

About the author and publisher

Arthur S. Maxwell — widely known as Uncle Arthur — wrote The Bible Story and the Bedtime Stories series that made his name. His children’s writing has stayed in print for decades because it takes children seriously without talking over them. Published by The Stanborough Press.

The Bible Story sits in our Children & Youth range. Families with younger children often add the pop-up titles David and Goliath and The Fiery Furnace.

Questions about this book

How many volumes are in the set?

Ten hardcover volumes, sold as a complete set. Loose volumes are occasionally available separately — contact HHES if you are replacing one from an existing set.

What age is it for?

Roughly 4 to 12 as a read-aloud, and children often keep reading it independently well past that. Adults reading it aloud tend to finish the chapter.

How many stories does it contain?

411, running in biblical sequence from creation to Revelation.

Is it the same as Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories?

No. Bedtime Stories are original moral stories about children. The Bible Story is Scripture, told in order across ten volumes.

Can it be paid off over time?

Payment arrangements on the larger sets are handled through our Literature Evangelists. Contact HHES to be put in touch with the LE for your area.

Is it suitable for a church or school library?

Yes, and it is one of the most common library purchases in this catalogue for exactly that reason.