These stories take a fun approach to two popular Bible stories for toddlers. In the first tale, Bumper's great, great Grandpa is among the animals in the Garden of Eden that Adam names. In the second story, Bumper comes along to help Noah finish building the ark and is one of the animals saved from the flood.

There is a paradox in American Christianity. According to Gallup, nearly eight in ten Americans regard the Bible as either the literal word of God or inspired by God. At the same time, surveys have revealed gaps in these same Americans' biblical literacy. These discrepancies reveal the complex relationship between American Christians and Holy Writ, a subject that is widely acknowledged but rarely investigated. The Bible in American Life is a sustained, collaborative reflection on the ways Americans use the Bible in their personal lives. It also considers how other influences, including religious communities and the Internet, shape individuals' comprehension of scripture. Employing both quantitative methods (the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study) and qualitative research (historical studies for context), The Bible in American Life provides an unprecedented perspective on the Bible's role outside of worship, in the lived religion of a broad cross-section of Americans both now and in the past. The Bible has been central to Christian practice, and has functioned as a cultural touchstone From the broadest scale imaginable, national survey data about all Americans, down to the smallest details, such as the portrayal of Noah and his ark in children's Bibles, this book offers insight and illumination from scholars across the intellectual spectrum. It will be useful and informative for scholars seeking to understand changes in American Christianity as well as clergy seeking more effective ways to preach and teach about scripture in a changing environment.

Children's Bibles have been among the most popular and influential types of religious publications in the United States, providing many Americans with their first formative experiences of the Bible and its stories. In Children's Bibles in America, Russell W. Dalton explores the variety of ways in which children's Bibles have adapted, illustrated, and retold Bible stories for children throughout U.S. history. This reception history of the story of Noah as it appears in children's Bibles provides striking examples of the multivalence and malleability of biblical texts, and offers intriguing snapshots of American culture and American religion in their most basic forms. Dalton demonstrates the ways in which children's Bibles reflect and reveal America's diverse and changing beliefs about God, childhood, morality, and what must be passed on to the next generation. Dalton uses the popular story of Noah's ark as a case study, exploring how it has been adapted and appropriated to serve in a variety of social agendas. Throughout America's history, the image of God in children's Bible adaptations of the story of Noah has ranged from that of a powerful, angry God who might destroy children at any time to that of a friendly God who will always keep children safe. At the same time, Noah has been lifted up as a model of virtues ranging from hard work and humble obedience to patience and positive thinking. Dalton explores these uses of the story of Noah and more as he engages the fields of biblical studies, the history of religion in America, religious education, childhood studies, and children's literature.

Over the years, "Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents has helped thousands of writers just like you get their books published. With the best and most up-to-date listings of key book publishing insiders, "Writer's Guide gets you past the reject piles and into the hands of the right people. Nowhere else will you find the detail, the insight, the depth. Nowhere else will you find the solid inside information. "Writer's Guide is your key to book publishing success. It gets you inside. It gets you noticed. Your talent will do the rest. "Beats the pants off "Writer's Market." --Michael Werner, coauthor of "Databases for Businesses and "Using Lotus 1-2-3 "This guide started my book publishing career." --Marcos McPeek Villatoro, author of "A Fire in the Earth, They Say That I Am Two, and "Walking to La Milpa "The finest lead source that I've ever seen. A must buy for every writer, published or not!" --Derek Savage, author of "The Second Coming and "The Dancer "Invaluable information, from query letter to book proposal. This book has made my dreams come true." --Eileen Oster, author of "The Healing Mind "This book got my foot in the door." --Wynn Goldsmith, writer "A masterpiece. I have never found so much practical information in this type of book before." --Walter Lambert, author of "Healing the Trauma of Divorce "As a writer and literary agent, this book has been invaluable." --Mary N. Oluonye, O-Squared Literary Agency "Jeff Herman has crammed a generous helping of information and advice into this invaluable book." --Paul Nathan, "Publishers Weekly ""Writer's Guide haseclipsed both "Literary Market Place and "Writer's Market as a source of projects for our agency. At least a third of our sales last year came as a result of this book." --Michael Snell, Michael Snell Literary Agency About the Author /Jeff Herman is founder of The Jeff Herman Literary Agency, one of New York's leading agencies for writers. He has sold hundreds of titles and represents dozens of top authors.