Book Review: Douay Rheims First Communion Bible

The Douay-Rheims First Communion Bible from Saint Benedict Press is a lovely gift idea for a first communicant.  This hard cover bible is packaged in a nice box that is suitable for gift giving.  With it's gold embossing, gold page edges and ribbon marker, this bible will certainly become a treasured keepsake.

The bible contains several features that make this an excellent bible to commemorate a first holy communion.  There is a presentation page where the gift giver may record the child's name and date of first holy communion.  Then there are saint stories for Blessed Imelda and St. Tarcisius that will inspire the recipient.  There are also full color inserts that offer descriptions of all seven sacraments as well as the Mass.  Also included in these inserts is a collection of daily Catholic prayers and a section explaining the rosary and how to pray it.  I found the full color inserts, which are printed on nice thick semi-gloss pages ,to be very nicely done.   The illustrations on these pages look like beautiful stained glass windows and complement the accompanying text perfectly.  In addition to the prayers in the full color insert pages, there are for additional pages of "Beloved Prayers" to know by heart and a list of the succession of popes.

Because this is a Douay-Rheims version of the bible, young children may struggle with the style of the language.  Where as a NAB bible is more modern in terms of language, thereby making it easier to read, the Douay-Rheims translation is Elizabethan English.  That may deter some from wanting to give this to a young child, but I think children can easily become accustomed to reading this translation.  Having come from a Protestant background where the King James bible was what I read growing up, I don't see much difference in terms of the language [the translations themselves, of course, are obviously different] which leads me to believe that it's not impossible for a child to read and understand this beautiful translation.  Given the accuracy and beauty of the Douay-Rheims translation, I think it's worth giving this version to a child.

Overall, I think this First Communion Edition Bible is an excellent and fitting gift for a first communicant.  It's beautifully done and is perfect for gift giving.

I wrote this review of Douay-Rheims First Communion Bible for the Tiber River free Catholic book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Baptism Gifts and First Communion Gifts.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.