We have three 5-and-unders in our house so we have read a fair few Christian books over the last few years. We have enjoyed them all for different reasons but I’ve narrowed it down to our top 10 best books which I’d recommend to anyone looking for a Christian book for children.
These books would also make great gifts if you’re looking for a meaningful gift for a new baby, or a baptism or dedication gift. These books are all suited to pre-school and primary aged children.
So here we go…
1. The Jesus Storybook Bible (Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago)
This is probably our favourite children’s book of all time and we have read it cover to cover multiple times. Sally Lloyd-Jones' beautiful, playful writing coupled with Jago’s bold illustrations make it an engaging book for children. The book is divided into Old and New Testament and focuses on particular stories in the Bible that bring out the Main Story – Jesus coming. Each story is carefully related to Jesus and God’s plan to bring him into the world to save humanity. We also love the fact that there is a Jesus Storybook colouring book too – a great added bonus!
2. What Every Child Should Know About Prayer (Nancy Guthrie and Jenny Brake)
We were really excited when we discovered this book and it’s been a great way to look in more detail at what prayer is and why we pray. The book is broken down into very short one-page chapters looking at a particular truth about prayer, with an accompanying Bible verse. A great book to work through bit by bit with a child. There are also some other excellent books in this series which we have also enjoyed just as much including ‘What Every Child Should Know About God’ and ‘Everyone a Child Should Know’. Definitely worth checking them all out!
3. ‘Favourite Bible Stories’ from the Me Too! series
The reason we love these stories so much is that they have accompanying songs. (And they are really nice songs that you will actually enjoy listening to!) Great for car journeys, or listening to before bed. I particularly like the fact that the stories cover less ‘famous’ characters from the Bible such as Rahab, Zacchaeus and the man born blind.
4. The Garden, The Curtain and The Cross (Carl Laferton and Catalina Echeverri)
This book is a beautifully written and illustrated book which takes the reader from the Garden of Eden, to the cross and resurrection and points towards our future hope of heaven. It manages to take very complex theological issues, such as the significance of the temple curtain, and explain them in a way which is engaging and paints an overview of the whole Bible narrative. There are a number of other books in this series too which are just as good. It’s definitely worth having the whole collection.
5. Stories Jesus Told (Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen)
This is a lovely little book of short stories from the New Testament, which are bound to capture your child’s attention and imagination. The stories are beautifully told and the illustrations very engaging.
6. The Big Picture Story Bible (David R. Helm and Gail Schoonmaker)
This is another story Bible that we have enjoyed cover to cover a number of times. As the title suggests, it takes you from Genesis to Revelation focusing on the big picture of the Bible, and each story is related to the overall story of God’s plan for humanity. It’s a great explanation of how all the stories in the Bible fit together. A good read for adults too!
7. Bake Through the Bible (Susie Bentley-Taylor and Bekah Moore)
If you have kids who love baking you are going to love this book! We have the Christmas edition, but there are a number of different Bake Through the Bible books, and each one helps parents or carers to explore the Bible with their child whilst having fun cooking together. Every recipe is connected to a Bible story, with accompanying questions to talk about. Such a fun way to read the Bible!
8. Found (Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago)
Another beautiful book from Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago and this comes as a soft board book - ideal for little ones. It takes Psalm 23 and puts it into simple language with some beautiful illustrations. We also have ‘Loved’ from this series which is equally as beautiful.
9. Sports Day (Nicola Fairburn and Ruth Hearson)
This is a relatively new discovery for us and a delightful book in a series of short books focusing on a family and how they navigate the ups and downs of life in a Biblical way. This particular book narrates the fears, desires and anxieties faced by two siblings as they set off for their school sports day. Their parents talk to them about how God sees them and what he sees as important using a story from the Bible. A great book to look at the ways in which the Bible can speak truth into the ordinary moments in our lives.
10. The Beginner's Bible (Kelly Pulley) and Beginning with God (Alison Mitchell)
I have included these books together as they can be used in connection with each other. The Beginner's Bible is a vibrantly illustrated children’s Bible with over 90 short stories. It can be read alongside the Beginning with God series. These are little booklets which help parents explore the Bible in more detail with their children. Each chapter connects to a chapter in The Beginners Bible and includes questions to think about, activities to help children understand key concepts and prayers you can pray together. It’s a lovely way to look at the Bible together as a family and explore concepts at a child’s level. (And most importantly it includes stickers!)
So there we have it - congratulations if you have read this far!
I’d love to know what your favourite Christian children’s books are, do let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, hope it’s given you some ideas 😊