Let's take a look at the figures: Cervantes' "Don Quixote" has sold approximately 500 million copies, "The Lord of the Rings" 150 million and "The Little Prince" 140 million. However, "God Speaks to His Children," with more than 52 million copies published in 194 languages and 140 countries since its launch in 1979, has established itself as a global phenomenon in religious children's literature.
The work is an adaptation of the Bible in which the main stories are collected with simple language and illustrations. In recent editions, the title has been changed to "God speaks to his children".
Catechetical material to change lives
Millions of people around the world still lack access to the Word of God. In contexts marked by war and violence, reconciliation and forgiveness become the only way to inner peace. In many schools in needy countries, such as Eritrea, the Children's Bible is sometimes the only reading book for the youngest children.
The Child's Bible was presented by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) at the Latin American Bishops' Conference held in Puebla, Mexico, at the end of January 1979, in the presence of Pope John Paul II during his first trip outside Italy. The success was immediate: the bishops directly ordered 1.2 million copies in Spanish. This initial impact prompted translation into other languages and today there are versions in 189 languages, from Afar, spoken by half a million people in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti, to Zulu in southern Africa.
Raquel Lázaro, ACN's communications manager in Spain, explains that "the Children's Bible is one of ACN's most 'emblematic' instruments since its foundation. When project leaders visit local Christian communities, it is precious for us to see how this little book reaches the most remote places on the planet. That is the goal: that the Word of God, full of hope and mercy, reaches the smallest and neediest in every corner of the world."
Distribution and educational outreach
Since its inception, ACN has been distributing the Children's Bible free of charge in needy countries, while in those with greater purchasing power, the price covers production costs. Among the most widely distributed editions are the Spanish (14 million), Portuguese (10.3 million), English (2.5 million), French (1.2 million) and Swahili (950,000) versions. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a Christian radio station released the children's Bible in Russian, generating half a million additional orders.
The work has also received the recognition of several Popes. Benedict XVI distributed during his pastoral trip to Brazil in May 2007, in Fazenda da Esperança, the 10 millionth copy of the Child's Bible, underlining its educational and spiritual value in the formation of young people around the world.
With more than four decades of history, the Children's Bible continues to transform lives, teaching literacy and spreading the faith among the youngest children, consolidating itself as a catechetical material of international reference.
