first published November 2012. updated 2019.
You are reading: Bible books for toddlers
one of our three christmas gifts each year for our children is a new children’s bible or book of bible stories. It’s always so much fun to snuggle together and open the pages without flipping through a new bible for the first time. We have amassed a large collection of children’s Bibles since our first child was born almost five years ago. I thought it would be helpful to create a list of the best bibles for toddlers, & preschoolers (in my opinion).
You are reading: Bible books for toddlers
Bible books for children
Yes, we own every single one of these children’s bibles I’ve mentioned below…and these are just the ones I like and recommend! You may ask yourself: why do I need to have more than one children’s bible? Well, I’m not sure you “need” multiple bibles, but I’ve found that not one single children’s bible includes all the stories in the bible (or all the stories I want to teach my kids).
Obviously, a children’s picture book of the Bible certainly couldn’t… but I want my children to hear as much of the Bible as they can, which includes the many stories we find in the good book. as our children grow… so does their attention span and understanding of these stories, so I think it’s important to have age-appropriate bibles in our home.
Also, it’s important to remember that each of these children’s bibles is someone else’s interpretation. I am grateful for these interpretations, however, because they help my little ones yearn to get closer to and know more about God from a younger age. they take the bible and make it accessible and developmentally appropriate for even the youngest children.
children’s bible
Although babies won’t understand or retain the baby Bible stories you read to them, I think it’s important for Christian families to make reading a Bible story a habit within days of welcoming their baby home. These are just a few of our favorite Bible story books for newborns and toddlers.
my sleepover bible by andy holmes
This children’s bible is divided into 30 individual stories with 2 paragraphs each of rhyming text related to the narrative of each story. The rhyme and rhythm of this baby bible make it the perfect read aloud for babies. It’s not the best in terms of content (explanation of the stories, etc.), but it’s an easy, rhythmic Bible story book to read aloud.
the baby hug bible by sally lloyd-jones
This board book baby bible, like the sleepover bible, is written in beautiful poetry. only 10 stories are included and they are relatively short (about 2 paragraphs each, perfect for a baby’s short attention span). The bible itself is big enough to hug and the entire book is covered in a comfortable sheep-like fabric (which you can’t see in the picture)! the emphasis of each story is on god’s love for us. this is now my baby bible for baby showers and baby gifts!
robin currie’s baby bible animals
This book of Bible stories for children is different from the other two recommended for babies in that it includes actions! the stories are simple and short and include at least three actions in each story (roar like a lion, pretend you are hammering, etc.), making it perfect for babies from 6 months. This was my two sons’ favorite children’s bible well into infancy! There are also gender-specific versions of the baby bible for boys and girls (although some of the stories are the same).
lift the flap bible by sally lloyd jones
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This sweet book of Bible stories is written by Sally Lloyd Jones (the same author of the Jesus Storybook Bible) and is ideal for interactive readers who love to lift flaps! Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments are included. I would suggest this bible for babies 1-2 years old.
bible for young children
the beginners bible for young children from mission city press inc.
This toddler bible is written in a more narrative form (as opposed to the poetry and action that characterized baby bibles). Your child will be able to remember some of the details of these stories and begin to get a sense of the lessons each Bible story for young children teaches us.
the bible from the book of the story of jesus by dennis g. jones
This children’s Bible story book is perfect for young children who love to look at pictures. With just 1-2 sentences on each page, young children will enjoy learning about Bible stories through pictures and short narratives. With the exception of the creation story (which is amazingly illustrated), the illustrations are much more cartoonish than any of the other bibles (which may or may not appeal to you and your child). I personally prefer the illustrations of the other bibles, but I know my children will like this. There are 24 stories in this bible (10 from the old testament and 14 from the new testament). I ordered this bible for little brother for christmas. We haven’t read it all together yet, but I went through all the stories and was really impressed with how simple the content was while still capturing the essence of each story.
preschool bible
Would you think I was crazy if I told you I didn’t know how to “fit” the bible until I was in college and started an in-depth bible study? i didn’t realize that all the individual stories i learned in bible class (which i attended since i was a baby) were about the same people, god’s chosen nation, israel. nor did I realize how much the old testament pointed to the coming of our savior in the new testament. Hopefully my kids won’t have this gap in their faith walk with the prevalence of children’s bibles that tell the story of Jesus literally from the beginning.
the jesus story book bible by sally lloyd-jones
This is my absolute favorite children’s bible ever written (so far). Sally Lloyd-Jones does a beautiful job of writing over 40 of the most important stories in narrative form, including our need for a savior (Jesus) in every story (even in the Old Testament). the illustrations are a bit more abstract, but still capture the essence of each story. If you are looking for a bible to read together as a family, this is the one!
the big picture history bible by david helm
This is another great children’s bible that points out our need for a savior. the illustrations are very realistic and the bible itself is quite large which makes the title even more relevant. This bible is appropriate for slightly older children because it is not really “fluffy” like many other children’s bibles. the old testament section of this bible talks a lot about punishment and god’s wrath, but then again… that’s a lot of what we read in the old testament. overall it paints a very realistic picture of the bible stories.
jesus calling bible storybook by sarah young
This bible for preschoolers is new to us. In fact, I bought it for the older brother for Christmas this year, so he hasn’t been able to read it yet. I have read several of the stories and love the illustrations. at the end of each story, it has a “jesus calling” section with a biblical reference that emphasizes the presence of jesus and how we can apply the story to our lives (“i was there when adam and eve left the garden forever”; sometimes in this world, you will have to suffer for doing the right thing”). my only complaint is that not all the stories have a similar length, which might be good for use with younger children and siblings.
the children’s story by max lucado, randy frazee & karen davis hill
This children’s bible is very similar to the bible storybook that calls for jesus. the illustrations are beautiful and are a work of art in themselves. the stories are relatively short and hold the attention of our two children. At the end of each story, there is a section called “message from god” that summarizes god’s love and what he has taught the character in that particular story.
children’s bible
the adventure bible
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This is a real bible with all 66 books and it comes in the nirv translation to help young readers read the bible on their own. nirv isn’t my favorite translation, and it’s certainly not the most reliable, but it’s a great way to bridge the gap between children’s Bible story books and niv, esv, or even king james translations.
Christian children’s books
These Christian children’s books are also worth a look…
francis chan’s big red tractor
This children’s parable, written by the author of Crazy Love, is a wonderful portrait of how we function best when we follow the Bible, which God has given us as our “instruction manual for life.” the story tells of a village plowing a field by having all the villagers push and pull the tractor, not knowing that it might actually work on its own until someone finds the instruction manual in the attic. Just like the tractor, we can reach our true potential with God’s help when we refer to our instruction manual (the Bible)!
herbert halfway by francis chan
some readers have described this book as a mad love for children. herbert only half-does things: his homework, cleaning his room, and eating dinner. he gets caught telling a half-truth and his dad teaches him that if he’s going to live pleasing jesus, he’s going to have to put all of his heart into it.
gift from ronnie wilson by francis chan
this book is a heartbreak (for adults, anyway). Ronnie finds out about Jesus’ great sacrifice in Sunday school and wants to give Jesus a present. He tries to send Jesus his coveted baseball glove, but the post office won’t send it to heaven. On the way home, he sees a man who is hungry and uses the money he brought for postage to buy him a hot dog. later, he is jumping on his trampoline, trying to get to heaven, when he sees his neighbor lonely on the fence. he asks his neighbor to jump on the trampoline with him. Finally, he buys a large balloon to use to blow his baseball glove at Jesus only to hear a girl crying because his balloon floated away. ronnie gives the girl her balloon, but then feels bad that she didn’t give jesus a gift. That night he has a dream where Jesus tells him that when he gave the food to the hungry man, his time to his neighbor, and the balloon to the sad girl, Ronnie was giving her a gift.
what is your family’s favorite children’s bible?
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Click here for more Bible resources and activities for children:
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