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Have you ever gotten a little stuck when trying to share the Easter story with the kids?
You are reading: Christian easter books for toddlers
You might get stuck on the Christian lingo we use, like “the blood of jesus washes away our sins” which sounds a bit bloody to kids (and anyone unfamiliar with the phrase)!
or you could get stuck on the actual death part. it is difficult to talk about death with young children, because their abstract minds cannot comprehend the permanence of death or the separation of soul and body.
also, there are many evil, horrible and downright confusing characters in the easter story. (like the part where the devil got into judas…say what?)
Compared to the tenderness of a baby in a manger, Easter is a difficult celebration to explain to our children. not exactly suitable for children.
and yet, jesus came to bring the kingdom of god into the lives of our children too, not just adults. Therefore, we need a way to explain difficult Easter concepts to children in a way that is not overwhelming or scary. they need to know that the gospel is truly good news.
my favorite way to present easter:
My favorite way to introduce difficult concepts to children is through good quality storybooks, for several reasons.
- Theological Oversight: When you get a good quality picture book, you know it’s not just you doing the talking. There has been an author, a publisher, and an editorial board behind this book. that’s why I don’t often recommend self-published books on my website. I have nothing against them (in fact, I have self-published!) but I prefer to recommend Christian books that have more than one set of eyes on theology.
- easy to teach: The flip side of having theological supervision is that you don’t have to find the explanation on your own, either. it’s right there, written for you! all you have to do is read it.
- simple lesson: sometimes adults don’t even understand the implications of jesus’ death and resurrection. when someone has taken the time to introduce it to children, it often makes more sense to adults as well.
- Pictures to Hold Attention: Good pictures are key to helping a child remember what was in a book. One afternoon, my preschool-age son begged me to read a very specific devotion from this book. he had no idea what the devotion was about, but it had been brought to his attention months ago by the image of a bird’s nest on someone’s head. good illustrations pave the way to understanding.
Have I convinced you it’s time to get a good quality picture book? Excellent. I will share with you my recommendations so you can choose the best one for your family!
Christian gospel-focused easter books:
1. good news! it’s easter
good news! It’s Easter is the perfect introduction to Easter for your toddler or preschooler.
pro: is very short and focuses on the renewal that spring and easter bring. It ends with Jesus coming out of his tomb, celebrating with all the other animals that found renewal throughout the book.
See Also: Download Books Ahmed Deedat pdf – Noor Library
con: because the book is so short, it doesn’t explain why Jesus comes out of the tomb. you will need to fill in the blanks yourself. however, it’s great to use as an early introduction!
Read a full review and interview with the author here.
2. holy week: a manual of emotions
This is the latest installment in the incredibly beautiful and surprisingly profound series of Christian baby catechesis books. This entire series will provide you with plenty of conversation starters and teaching moments, but if you can only grab one, get this Easter book!
This multi-layered book does 3 things in 1:
- go through the easter story in order.
- introduces children to the actual text of scripture.
- each page of text also introduces an emotion!
3. the garden, the curtain and the cross
This book is brilliant. really. I read this to a group of about 70 kids ages 2-12 one Easter morning and they hung on every word. (unusual for a group of that size!) the story begins in the garden of eden, connects with the curtain that divided the holy of holies from the rest of the temple, and ends in heaven. Somehow the author managed to pack the entire bible into less than 1000 words.
pros: starts with why we needed Jesus to die and come back to life. Also, the illustrator is amazing. you could spend hours just looking at the funny and touching illustrations of him.
cons: none.
Read my full review here.
4. Benjamin’s box
if you’ve ever heard of resurrection eggs (check them out on amazon), this is the original book that introduced them. Follows the story of a first century boy named Benjamin who follows Jesus during Holy Week and collects little reminders of Jesus in his treasure chest.
pros: This story clearly tells both the story and the meaning of the story. You can do many activities with this book, either by buying the pre-made resurrection eggs or creating your own.
This is also a great book to read with large groups of children. one year I dressed up and recited it to about 100 children with a spotlight on me (and later, the cross). they heard well.
See Also: Jodi Picoult · Small Great Things (2016)
Cons: It’s quite a long story, so you may want to read it in installments with very young children.
5. the shiny egg
This book is really great for helping kids understand the meaning behind Passover and how it really applies to the real circumstances they face. in it, the main character tells a lie and feels guilty about it for the next week. His mom asks him to decorate a special shiny egg and put a piece of paper inside. on paper he draws a representation of his lie. On Easter morning, he cracks open the egg and discovers that the paper is gone, as is the sin from it. there are a couple of brief conversations with his parents, but they are brief and realistic.
Pros: This is a perfect example of helping your child experience deep spiritual truth through the story. while your children identify with the boy in the story, feeling his guilt and then his freedom. Plus, I love that you can do this with your own kids.
cons: none.
6. god gave us easter
To be honest, I’m including this one because a lot of other people love it. it’s not one of my favorites, but since it’s one of the best sellers, I can’t make a list like this without mentioning it!
pros: It’s cute and the illustrations help children understand what is being said. in fact, I think the illustrations make this book; without them, it’s just a long conversation between a little bear and her daddy. However, the book does a good job of explaining Easter to children, albeit in a rather abstract way.
cons: no plot except what you see in the illustrations.
7. easter love letters from god
This book is a complete retelling of the Easter story.
pros: each of the 7 short chapters has a “love letter from god” that helps children understand the why behind the events of easter.
cons: none.
See more about how I’ve used this book here.
If you liked these recommendations and would like more, check out my definitive list of the 10 best Christian picture books available today! click here or on the image below to get access.
See Also: Harry Potter & J.K. Rowling: What to expect in 2022 – The Rowling Library