Biblical Children’s Books I Love and Trust

In this post I will share 5 of my favorite biblical children’s books I love and trust. While there are a ton of Christian books out there, not all are theologically sound. Many also contain a lot of fluffy language that does not cause children to think more deeply about their sin nature and the redemptive work of Jesus. I am pretty picky about what we read because kids absorb everything like a sponge and it greatly influences their understanding of the world. I want them to have a clear understanding of what the Bible teaches and what it means to be saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. Not only do I love these books, my children really enjoy them also. They often open the door for us to have deeper conversations. Some even have a list of heart probing questions at the end.

1. The-Ology, Ancient Truths, Ever New

by Marty Machowski and Andy McGuire

I LOVE this book as a parent. It can often be hard to find creative ways to break down theological truths to young children. This book does so in a really unique way and provides easy to understand examples that help children to understand biblical truths. It paints a clear picture of who God is, our sinful nature, salvation through Christ, and everything in between. It doesn’t shy away from discussing more theological words like “regeneration” and “justification”. However, your children are never too young to start hearing these words during your reading time. While our children may not be able to fully wrap their heads around their meaning, it is great that they are becoming familiar with them. Often times our children understand more than we realize. Every page is filled with scripture and encourages you to open your Bible. You can dive into the extra verses listed and spend more time on each section with older children or just keep it shorter with your younger kids. We use this book in the evenings during our family worship time and it’s a great guide for parents to cover the foundational beliefs of christianity.

You can find The-Ology here.

2. Little Pilgrims Big Journey

by Tyler Van Halteren 

This one might be my favorite! My children LOVE this book and I thoroughly enjoy reading it to them. The allegory is about a boy named Christian on his journey to Celestial city. As he faces many trials and temptations, the King guides him and increases his faith to press on. It truly is a remarkable story that engages my children from beginning to end. I ask them questions throughout it to help them make connections to their own life. I pray that seeing Christian’s bravery and faith throughout the story will strengthen their hope in the Lord and encourage them to stay on the narrow path and seek what is right and true. This one includes heart probing questions and a description of each chapter. Honestly, this children’s version challenges my own heart in a lot of ways and I can easily place myself in Christian’s shoes. The original story was published in 1678 and written by John Bunyan.

You can find Little Pilgrims Big Journey here.

3. The Lightlings

by R.C. Sproul

Sproul is always a trusted source for sound theology. He has a handful of biblical children’s books that creatively teach children just how special Jesus is. This particular one is about Lightling creatures that stray away from the King because of shame and guilt. The longer they are in darkness, their lights begin to fade. However, the King redeems them by sending a new baby that is called the Light of the world! My children really enjoy the illustrations in this book.

You can find The Lightlings here.

4. The Priest in Dirty Clothes

by R.C. Sproul

This is the other children’s book we have by Sproul that we love. The Priest in Dirty Clothes is about a priest that cannot present his sermon before the King because his clothes are stained. Without giving too much of the story away, the Prince ends up giving this priest a brand new, perfectly clean set of clothes so that he can present his sermon before the King. It paints a really clear picture to our children about how our hearts are stained and we are only cleansed by the blood of Jesus. It is because of Jesus that we can come before a holy and perfect God.

You can find it here.

5. Chloe and the Closet of Secrets

by Ginger Hubbard

I came across this book by listening to Ginger Hubbard’s podcast. If you haven’t checked it out yet, she has a ton of wisdom to share on biblical parenting. This is a book she wrote to help children understand the sin of lying. What I love about this book, is that at the end, the little girl confesses her sins because her parent models what confession looks like at the dinner table. So it teaches children that mommy and daddy aren’t perfect either, and whether young or old, we all need to ask the Lord to fogive us for our sins. She has another book called Sam and the Sticky Situation that we would love to add to our home library. It addresses the sin struggle of whining.

You can find Ginger Hubbard’s books and other resources here!

Make Reading to your Children a Daily Habit!

Sitting down with your kids and snuggling for book time is such an easy and intentional way to connect with them. There are so many benefits to reading to your children, even as they grow older. When you read biblical children’s books like the ones listed above, it often opens up the door for meaningful conversation. You can help them to examine their own hearts and it gives you an opportunity to lovingly shepherd and teach them. I try to keep reading time consistent in our home by reading one book before nap time and a couple before bed. If they ask me to read them a book during the day, I always try to make time for that. Children really enjoy the physical touch and attention they receive from their parents during reading time.

I hope you can get your hands on some of these books and use them as a tool in your home to explain the truth of the Bible. I pray they can help to shape the hearts and minds of your young children.

Stay tuned for more content on motherhood and biblical parenting. You can find it all from this link.