Theo: God’s Love (video review)
I recently heard a mom talking about the Theo Bible story videos her kids had been enjoying, and since I’m always looking for resources to help teach my children about Scripture, I headed over to www.theopresents.com to find out more. Right away I noticed the company’s emphasis on teaching children God’s Word, and I was delighted to get a chance to review the three episodes from the DVD Theo: God’s Love.
The main characters are two mice, Belfry and Luther, and the old pastor with whom they live, whose name is Theo. Each episode follows the same basic formula: Belfry and Luther face a problem, then Theo explains a basic doctrine that addresses that problem, followed by a Bible story to illustrate the point.
Quick Summaries
In “Saving Faith” Theo teaches about the meaning of “faith,” whether it be in false things such as superstitions or true faith in God. Then he tells the story of Abraham and Sarah following God to the land of Canaan.
In “Loving Obedience”, Theo teaches about ways we can please God by obeying His Word. Then the Bible story of Jonah.
In “Forgiveness,” Belfry, eats the special treats Luther has been saving. Theo teaches them the meaning of the word forgiveness and then tells the parable of “The Unforgiving Servant.” He shares about how our sin puts us in debt to God, and how God forgives us.
Our Thoughts
I loved the beautiful animation and solid teaching. It is rare to find such a well thought out resource for teaching theology to children. The characters were fun and likeable, and I loved the way Theo was often singing through an old hymn. My children were immediately drawn in, and their only complaint was that they wanted more to watch. Each episode is about 9-10 minutes long, with three episodes on each of the five DVDs currently available.
In addition to the videos themselves, I was impressed by the free parent guides offered on the website (in addition to coloring and activity pages). For each episode, the parent guide gives Scripture references for the verses used in the video, as well as discussion questions, a “family activity,” and 6 days of family devotions. These would be a wonderful resource for families looking for ways to spend time together in the Bible.
If you’re interested in checking out the Theo series, the 5-minute bonus episode “Good News” is available to download for free. Other episodes are available for purchase on DVD or as downloads from the Theo website. I hope you enjoy Theo as much as we did!
DISCLAIMER: I received the digital downloads of the three episode from God is Love for free in exchange for my honest review.