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Forward in Christ is featuring the stories of two adults and how they read their Bibles in our “Free in Christ” column this month. What about children, though? What resources are available to help parents develop a lifelong love of Bible reading in their children’s lives? Here are some recommendations from one family that has researched Bible story books for all ages. It’s one of those articles that I plan to save and share because it’s filled with so much useful information. May it bless your family as well!
Nicole Balza
When our children were young, my husband and I sifted through dozens of Bible story books to find the best Bible story books to read aloud.
As we chose books to read to our kids, we kept several things in mind. First, we made sure that the books added little detail to the original Bible account. When our children were young, we chose only books with engaging text and pictures. As our family grew, we tried to find books that appealed to different age levels. Most important, we chose books that did not contradict biblical doctrine.
My First Bible by Kenneth Taylor is the first Bible story book we used with our kids. The stories are very short and written with toddlers in mind. It’s best for kids ages 0 to 2.
My Bible Story Book by Sarah Fletcher is a favorite from my childhood and is the perfect next step from Taylor’s book. This is one of those books that adds a few things to the stories—but not too much (usually). I love how the author keeps Jesus as the center of the book, even with Old Testament stories. It’s perfect for three- to five-year-olds.
My First Bible Storybook published by Concordia is another excellent choice. The stories are accurate, engaging summaries of the Bible text. It’s great for ages 3 to 6.
Read with Me Bible published by Zondervan was our first fat Bible story book. At first, we hesitated to use it because the pictures are cartoony and sometimes just plain silly. But the stories are well written, and the illustrations certainly kept our kids’ attention! This book is ideal for ages 3 to 6.
My only complaint about The Rhyme Bible by L. J. Sattgast is that it’s too short! All of us enjoyed the illustrations and the lovely rhyming stories. Our kids especially liked this one as three- and four-year- olds.
One thing I love about The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible by Janice Emmerson is that it has so many stories. It goes beyond familiar characters like Moses and Jonah to include many lesser-known Bible characters and stories. My criticisms are that the storytelling style can feel a little boring at times and the author fails to mention Christ in many opportune places. If you feel comfortable adding that in yourself, the book is a fine choice. I recommend it for ages 5 and up.
Family Time is another book we’ve read with our family. I love that the left side of each page is a Bible story and the right side is an application story. It’s told in language that our children understood as preschoolers, but it was still engaging for our ten-year-old. The stories are Christ-centered and biblically solid. I highly recommend it for ages 5 and up. Younger children who are experienced Bible story listeners will enjoy it as well.
Egermeier’s Bible Story Book is a republished classic. The 312(!) stories are beautifully told and doctrinally sound. The only challenge we had with this book is that the sto-ries are often too long for our younger kids and there isn’t a picture for every story. I recommend it for ages 6 and up. It really is a treasure!
120 Bible Stories is a great choice for older listeners. There are fewer pictures, but they’re extremely well done and full of interesting detail. I love how each devotion offers a short Bible passage to memorize. I also appreciate the questions at the end of each story. I recommend the stories for ages 6 and up.
The Story Bible is a large Bible story book with stunning illustrations. I love that the stories come directly from the Bible, and I especially love the question, suggested activity, and prayer at the end of each story. However, I find it odd that the editors worked so hard to make the book one that kids could read themselves but included much of the stilted language of the English Standard Version translation of the Bible. Some of it was so awkward to read (and incomprehensible to our kids) that we had to revise the stories as we read aloud.
Finally, when our house became a mix of grade schoolers and teenagers, we started reading The Story of God’s Love. This book is great for children who already know their basic Bible stories and have a longer listening span. It contains 250 readings of actual Bible text from all 66 books of the Bible. The kids enjoyed hearing lesser-known stories (like the story of Ehud and Eglon) that they had never heard in school or Sunday school.
May God bless you as you share his Word with the next generation!
Author: Anna Geiger
Volume 111, Number 02
Issue: February 2024
- Parent conversations: How can parents and kids manage stress?
- Parent conversations: What do your prayers for your children include?
- Parent conversations: How do we resist making our parenting law-based?
- Parent conversations: What Bible passages do you turn to most as a parent?
- Parent conversations: How can we help kids develop positive, healthy habits?
- Parent conversations: What tactics do you use to encourage children to tackle difficult tasks?
- Parent conversations: How can we model good listening skills for our kids?
- Parent conversations: How do we help our kids move on from mistakes?
- Parent conversations: How can we instill gratitude in our children?
- Parent conversations: How can parents find the balance between being too restrictive and too permissive?
- Parent conversations: How can we teach kids to be good friends?
- Parent conversations: What life skills will help young people as they transition to adulthood?
- Parent conversations: How do we discuss death with our children?
- Parent conversations: What does it look like for a father to be a strong Christian leader?
- Parent conversations: How can we help young adults stay engaged in the church?
- Parent conversations: What do parents need to know about video games?
- Parent conversations: How do parents not let worry get the best of them?
- Parent conversations: How do we teach our kids to value all people?
- Parent conversations: When parenting philosophies differ
- Parent conversations: How can we help today’s overwhelmed teens?
- Parent conversations: How can parents maintain a healthy marriage?
- Parent conversations: You might be a Lutheran parent if . . .
- Parent conversations: Parenting post–high school: What is a parent’s role?
- Parent conversations: How can families use the hymnal in their worship life at home?
- Parent conversations: What should Christian parents teach their children about gender?
- Parent conversations: What is vocation? How does it apply to parenting?
- Parent conversations: Why do siblings fight? How should I react when they are fighting?
- Parent conversations: How do we teach children resilience?
- Parent conversations: How do I approach vaccines as a Christian parent?
- Parent conversations: How can I explain the Sixth Commandment to a young child?
- Parent conversations: How can I help my child have an optimistic outlook?
- Parent conversations: What if we can’t follow our Christmas traditions this year?
- Parent conversations: What are ways to foster a rich prayer life in children?
- Parent conversations: How can I let the gospel shine as I parent?
- Parent conversations: How should I handle a child’s separation anxiety?
- Parent conversations: How should families prepare to go back to school?
- Parent conversations: How does a teen’s brain work?
- Parent conversations: How much should I monitor my child online?
- Parent conversations: How can parents reassure children during an uncertain time?
- Parent conversations: How can I stay calm when my child is out of control?
- Parent conversations: Should I give something up for Lent?
- Parent conversations: How can I keep my child engaged in attending church?
- Parent conversations: How can we help a stressed-out kid?
- Parent conversations: How can we nurture a proper view of “stuff”?
- Parent conversations: How involved should parents be in a child’s homework?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: Are we modeling kindness for our children?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: What’s the best parenting advice you’ve received or given?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How should we handle it when people undermine our parenting decisions?
- Parent conversations: How can we prepare children for summer camp?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: What’s a parent’s role as a child dates?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How do parents find contentment?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can we help a family with a sick parent?
- Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can parents model healthy cell phone use?
- Parent conversations: How can we protect kids without scaring them?
- Parent conversations: What does your family’s bedtime routine look like?
- Parent conversations: What do I need to consider before I give my child a cell phone?
- Parent conversations: How can we teach gentleness and strength at the same time?
- Parent conversations: What should we do when our children grow silent?
- Parent conversations: What should we teach our children about the Reformation?
- Parent conversations: Do we want our children to be leaders or followers?
- Parent conversations: How does a parent’s role change over time?
- Parent conversations: How should I handle a disagreement with my child’s teacher?
- Parent conversations: What are the building blocks of a strong parent/child relationship?
- Parent conversations: What is our goal as parents?
- Parent conversations: What Christmas traditions do you cherish in your family?
- Parent conversations: How can we raise a generation that cherishes life?
- Parent conversations: What are the best Bible story books for family devotions?
- Parent conversations: Why should children obey their parents?
