Hidden in Our Hearts (But Displayed on the Bookshelf)
One of the most important things we can do for kids is to instill in them a love for God and His Word. When it comes to the Bible, though, it’s not always easy for younger children to read and understand the text. We can encourage enthusiasm by providing age-appropriate Bibles that reach youngsters at their level of comprehension.
Here are some suggestions to guide in selecting storybooks and Bibles for kids of all ages. Note: The age ranges listed here are recommendations, but they are not mandates. Ages are flexible.
1. My First Read and Learn Bible
Publisher: Scholastic (with the American Bible Society)
Suggested age range: 0-3 years old
Perks/Pros: This book contains beautiful pictures, easy-to-turn pages, and simple stories that convey the message of the Bible.
Cons: As a children’s story format, it’s not comprehensive with Bible books or complete stories.
2. The Jesus Storybook Bible
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Suggested age range: 2-5 years old
Perks/Pros: This book has vivid illustrations that emphasize the action. Stories are told in a simple and personal way to draw youngsters in. Every account includes an explanation of how the story (Old Testament or New) connects to Christ.
Cons: Not every story is included. Since this is a storybook, it does not contain chapter or verse listings, either.
3. My Bedtime Bible
Publisher: World Publishing
Suggested age range: 3-7 years old
Perks/Pros: This one includes engaging pictures and simple stories laid out in a daily format. Weekly themes cover the entirety of the Bible and highlight God’s work in our lives. The Bible also contains suggested discussion questions and prayers for review.
Cons: The stories are, by design, very short. If a longer devotional time is desired, another Bible might be needed to supplement.
4.The Bible for Children
Publisher: Good Books
Suggested age range: 6-11 years old (elementary school)
Perks/Pros: This Bible contains simple summaries of Bible stories, with the accompanying Scripture passages listed. It includes bold and beautiful illustrations and page borders to bring the accounts to life.
Cons: While many key parts of the Bible are included, the stories are summarized and do not contain full chapter and verse references. This is not a complete Bible, but a good starting point for young readers.
5. Bible Now!
Publisher: American Bible Society
Suggested age range: 6-11 years old
Perks/Pros: This storybook-style Bible features short summaries of Bible accounts, with passage references listed. The story snippets are accompanied by comic book-style illustrations, allowing the text to be experienced like a graphic novel of sorts.
Cons: As with many books like this, the entirety of the Bible is not included, and neither are chapters or verses.
6. VeggieTales Bible
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Suggested age range: 6-9 years old
Perks/Pros: This is a complete Bible (New International Reader’s Version) with verses and chapters listed. It provides introductions for each Bible book with facts about it and also offers a few highlighted concepts and verses. This Bible also includes several VeggieTales stories inserted throughout, as well as a few scattered pictures.
Cons: There are not as many guided discussion questions or colored illustrations.
7. The Story for Kids
Publisher: Zonderkids
Suggested age range: 9-12 years old
Perks/Pros: Like the popular adult counterpart, The Story for Kids provides the Bible in a novel format, without chapter and verse divisions. This book does so using kid-friendly language. It also includes illustrations and discussion questions.
Cons: If verse and chapter divisions are preferred, they are not featured here. For kids who enjoy more detailed illustrations, these ones are only black and white and not on every page of the Bible.
8. The Action Bible
Publisher: David C. Cook
Suggested age range: 8-12 years old
Perks/Pros: This is a great way to spark Bible interest in children, especially for young boys. The book is laid out in the style of a graphic novel. It contains Scripture references but uses images and conversations to convey the action of the episodes. The pictures are vibrant and engaging.
Cons: Since this one uses the graphic novel format, it does not include longer text passages. Most stories are included, but it is not comprehensive as a complete Bible.
9. Hands-On Bible
Publisher: Group Publishing and Tyndale House Publishers
Suggested age range: 7-12 years old
Perks/Pros: This is a great resource that contains the entirety of the Bible (New Living Translation) and extra content for kids. There are notes about the text and “fun facts” sprinkled throughout. This Bible also includes many hands-on activities (as might be expected, given the name) to emphasize the principles of the passages and bring the concepts to life. Science lessons and experiments are highlighted, as well as games and accompanying discussion questions.
Cons: For younger learners, there are not quite as many illustrations as other resources, but it still has engaging pictures.
Note: Group Publishing does have a Sunday School curriculum that coincides with this Bible, if it is a favorite with your group of learners.
10. The Growing in Faith Bible
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Suggested age range: 8-12 years old
Perks/Pros: This also includes the entire content of the Bible (English Standard Version) with chapter and verse references. It also contains text boxes that offer explanation comments to guide understanding. There are character descriptions and prophet references listed, as well as parent connections. This Bible includes some illustrations as well as questions to guide the discussion.
Cons: Although there are pictures, this Bible does not have quite as many of them, which might not appeal to younger or very visual readers. Additionally, the ESV translation can sometimes be slightly challenging for kids to understand (though certainly not as hard as something like KJV).
Of course, this list is just the beginning. There are many wonderful resources available for varying ranges, and different types of Bibles are optimal for different types of learners. Choose the best fit for your young audience. Hopefully, these titles are a helpful start to browse as you search for a way to introduce Scripture to children.