Even the littlest toddlers love to hear storybooks and look at them on their own. Storybook Bibles are a wonderful tool that we can have in our homes to put God’s truth in front of our kids from the earliest of ages.
We are blessed to live in a time when so many have been created and display beautiful artwork and great text. But it can be difficult to sift through them to find the right ones. When my family looks for a good storybook Bible, we look for accurate representation of God’s truth, beautiful illustrations and text, and durability. Here is a list of our favorites!
We have read through each of these during bedtime routines over the years. Before our kids were ready to listen and understand the word of God, we used these as a way to present them with His truths on a daily basis. After finishing one, we’d start the next, giving them a more balanced approach to God’s word through multiple storybook summaries. Even with their range of ages, our kids loved hearing these stories before they went to bed at night, and this habit set the stage for later family devotional times with the actual Bible.
(1) The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name
This was the first one we used, and it was much loved. Its colorful illustrations, simple but evocative text, and whimsical style make it a great choice for reading to very young children. It is limited in the scope of stories it includes. But what it lacks in scope is made up for by its fantastic work of emphasizing God’s redemptive plan through Jesus from beginning to end. The subtitle states the goal of this book, and the book itself completely follows through on its promise. We used this book to read to our toddlers, but even when some of our kids were quite a bit older, they enjoyed hearing this read to their toddler sibling.
(2) The Big Picture Story Bible
This excellent book tells a simple but surprisingly comprehensive story of the Bible. This year, I took a college class about seeing the scripture as a complete story, and the professor recommended that all of the students in his class start by reading this book! It is a great book to read to your children so that they can see the entire outline of the Bible, and it is a fantastic way for early readers to have their own Bible reading time. It is a massive book, and the illustrations are not as wonderful as the text, but it is still the best picture Bible storybook out there for scope and thoroughness. We read this to our kids after finishing The Jesus Storybook Bible, and later they were able to use it for early independent Bible reading.
(3) The Action Bible: God’s Redemptive Story
We found this book to be a great way for kids to look at Bible stories on their own. When your kids are ready to read, but not quite ready for the challenging text of scripture itself, this book bridges the gap and helps them to visualize Bible stories and see the chronology of the Bible for themselves. Our boys especially loved looking through this book, and kids who gravitate towards graphic novels will love the design. When our church didn’t have a nursery, our toddler enjoyed looking through it during the church service, and I was sometimes able to show him the section that corresponded to the sermon text, giving him something visual that went with what everyone was hearing taught.
BONUS:
(4) ESV Holy Bible for Kids
When your kids are ready to carry and read their own Bibles, this beautiful and sturdy copy is a good choice. It includes some great illustrations, and will stand up to some wear and tear. It maybe the most economic hardcover available, but doesn’t look or feel cheap at all.
(5) The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New
After you have read through Bible storybooks multiple times with your kids, you might be ready for a different approach. This book is a great guide through important teachings and includes tons of verses to reinforce the short summaries of Bible doctrines. It also includes stories and analogies that help children understand the truths it presents about God and His plan of salvation. These simple yet profound lessons systematically work through Bible doctrines but are never boring. Our children would often beg me to read more, and they enjoyed the simple yet vivid illustrations.
In summary, each of these books has formed an important part of our Bible library for our children. They make fantastic gifts for new parents and for kids as well. We can make Bible reading a regular part of our children’s lives, and these books are a beautiful and fun way to start that habit.
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