The amount of Bible story books for kids that are out there is overwhelming! There are so many on the market. How do we know which ones are true to God’s word and which ones are not?
We want to help our children understand the Bible, right? We take them to church, read them Bible stories, do Bible arts and crafts with them, and commit to praying with them daily.
In the young years, we provide them with Bibles that are colorful, age-appropriate, and summarize key Bible stories. Why do we do this?
To help them better understand the Bible and turn their affections toward Jesus.
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I used to be scared of buying Bible story books. There I said it. I truly was. My fear was that using anything but the holy scripture would somehow dumb down or change scripture.
Now there are Bibles out there that change scripture and that’s just plain ole’ scary stuff, but there are other Bibles that are simply companion resources to use alongside
Staying True to Scripture
If you are seeking to turn your child’s affection to Jesus the number one way to do that is to get them into the World of God.
So the question becomes, does the Word of God need embellishing for children?
Goodness no!
The Word of God is complete and exactly as it should be.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
Make no mistake, these Bible storybooks should not be replacing the verbatim Word of God. They are a resource, not a replacement. Look for Bible storybooks that stay true to scripture. There is a difference between changing scripture and simplifying the wording for young minds.
As I am writing this post we are in the midst of doing family devotional time every morning during the Advent season. We are utilizing Advent Blocks and their devotional, an ESV Study Bible, and the Illustrated Children’s Bible. Use multiple resources as you are teaching your children!
Teaching the Bible to Young Children
You will not regret teaching and reading the Bible to your young children. Here are just a few of the benefits
- Help your child understand Biblical truth from a young age.
- Good Bible storybooks use colorful illustrations to support and uphold the truth of scripture. In turn, this will encourage your child to value the Word
- Allows for meaningful conversations with preschoolers!
- Storybook Bibles encourage repetition and therefore help children retain information more.
- Bright pictures are exciting and stimulating for young learners.
We also love using the Hello Bible Box, which is an excellent way to reinforce the Bible stories you are reading.
What are Bible Story Books
An illustrated or Bible story book is simply one that summarizes a Bible story with simple and straightforward wording and pictures. It is not verbatim from the Bible and uses simple sentence structures for younger learners. Bible story books is a love of mine because it introduces young children to the gospel of Jesus. I find that any of these make great gifts for holidays, birthdays, and baby showers.
So, let’s dive into 10 of the best children’s bible story books.
1. The Beginners Gospel Story Bible
This book is new to me, but it is fast becoming a favorite in our home.
The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible contains fifty-two Bible stories that are retold in a simple and compelling way for toddlers and preschoolers. The theme woven throughout the book is how God keeps his promises in surprising ways.
Redemption is kept front and center in each of the stories as well as the themes of grace and mercy.
One of our favorite parts is that each story concludes with a question that reinforces the story and theme.
2. The Gospel Story Bible
This is another favorite that I’m surprised I didn’t know about years earlier.
The Gospel Story Bible is easy to read, follow, and incorporate into your family’s daily life. Marty Machowski’s goal was to create a book where God’s plan of salvation was continuously on display.
Each story points to Jesus Christ is the hero of every story.
My personal favorite part of this book is that there are Biblical scripture references that coincide with each narrative. This specifically is helpful in showing my children the importance of remaining in the Bible, even when we are reading story books.
The Gospel Story Bible was created to accompany Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the Gospel Story Sunday School curriculum. Both of these are available at New Growth Press.
3. The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Most likely you have heard of the Jesus Storybook Bible it has been in print for over a decade now and truly was a game changer for children’s Bibles.
There are 21 stories written in the Old Testament and 23 stories written in the New Testament. Each story emphasizes Jesus as our Savior.
What continues to be unique about this Bible is that the stories point to Jesus as our Savior, but always beautifully depict for children that Jesus is at the center of their story too.
It’s a beautiful Bible for children up to 6th grade. However, I have honestly found the stories just as important for me to read as for my children to read. They often make me tear up!
4. My Little Library Story Bibles
These are arguably not a story Bible as they are so simplified that it would be hard to actually know what was going on in the true Bible story. They are each a picture book and the story is very simplified. They really are great for younger children who enjoy looking at board books.
However, I mention these because they have been such a joy for my middle child. He is drawn to our little basket of these books almost every day. At three years old, he loves to sit open each one up and look at the pages.
He is also a very destructive and active little guy so any sitting time is a treasure for this mama! We do not read these exclusively from a more in-depth story Bible as a 3×3 inch board book does not capture a Bible story well.
There are 12 books and each has 10 pages. I recommend these books as a way to incorporate the Bible into every crevice of your home, but not as a Biblical resource.
5. The Biggest Bible Storybook
This book is gorgeous!
There are 104 engaging Bible stories, and did I mention that the illustrations are gorgeous!?
My favorite thing about the Bibbest Bible Storybook is that Author Kevin DeYoung decided to start in Genesis and end with Revelation. He emphasizes the importance of the storyline of the Bible.
Each story concludes with a reflective prayer. It is an ideal illustrated Bible for ages 6-12 years old.
Also in this series is the Biggest Story ABCs and The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden
6. The Promises of God Storybook Bible
If this book had a tagline, it would be this: God’s love is unstoppable. And that’s a promise. Quite the tagline, isn’t it?
The Bible is rich with stories for our children to enjoy. The stories of the Bible are immeasurably better than anything that our modern television or entertainment can produce. This Bible would specifically be good for young readers.
Each of the fifty retellings of Bible stories points to key promises woven throughout scripture. Children will learn through these faithful to-scripture stories that God has shown us love from the garden of Eden to our current times. This storybook has in particular done a remarkable job or providing beautiful illustrations throughout the book.
7. Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids
I was skeptical of this book at first. My bias tends to lean toward books that are more whimsical in the illustrations. I find that the more ‘cartoon’ character books are not typically what I’m looking for. However, in this case, I found that my bias was 100% wrong. The book is a gospel experience from Genesis to Revelation. I specifically love how they present Noah’s Ark!
This book is ideal for younger kids and family devotionals. At the end of each story, there are learn, talk, and pray together sections.
If you are looking for a book that tells a story and then emphasizes for the child an application approach, then this one is for you.
8. Bible Stories & Prayers
The writers for this Bible contacted me over Instagram and asked if I would be interested in receiving a copy of this Bible. At the time I was obsessed with the Jesus Storybook Bible and almost said no because I was convinced the Jesus Storybook Bible would be our only children’s Bible. I am so glad I didn’t say no because it opened the door for me to explore many of these previously suggested storybook Bibles.
This Bible quickly became my children’s favorite Bible to read in the mornings. The stories were quick, true to scripture, and concluded with a prayer. The prayer was their absolute favorite part because it left blank spots in the prayer to insert their names which makes the story personal to the child.
9. Illustrated Children’s Bible
This list would not be complete without the Illustrated Children’s Bible. This colorfully illustrated Bible depicts stories with 300 two-page illustrations.
I specifically like that this Bible is a ‘no frills’ Bible. It simply has a story simply summarized from the Bible and colorful illustrations that reflect the story.
Our Top Picks
Which ones are our ultimate favorites? That’s a hard question because we really love them all! However, there are three that stand out above the rest as faithful to the scripture, helpful for children, and easy to use every day.
- Jesus Storybook Bible
- The Gospel Story Bible
- The Biggest Bible Storybook
I find that the ones above are the best bible storybooks but here are a few more honorable mentions.
The Beginner’s Bible
The Action Bible (for older kids)
My First Bible and Prayers
Is there a Bible that we did not include on this list that you love? Feel free to pop over to Instagram and connect with me as we walk this parenting journey together.
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