I can still recall the look and feel of my first Bible picture book as a child: its heavy cream cover and its serious, painting-style illustrations. Even as an adult, when I read certain narrative texts—like Moses’ rescue from the Nile River as an infant, or Solomon’s advice to the quarreling young mothers—I often see those illustrations in my mind’s eye. A storybook Bible offers a child’s first glimpse at God’s Word, helping to shape his or her view of God and the world.
As lifelong students of the Bible ourselves, my husband and I have taken seriously the task of choosing suitable Bible storybooks for our two young sons. We want our boys to know the one story of Scripture and the God who reveals himself through that story.
Thankfully, we are seeing more published Christian resources for children than ever before—causing my husband and others to remark that we are living in “the golden age of children’s Bibles.” This is a wonderful time to be training up our children to love God and his Word (Deut. 6:7; Psa. 119:97).
Following are several Bible storybooks we personally recommend after auditioning them with our sons, ages five and two-and-a-half. I’ll share our impressions about the suitability of each one for various stages of family life, ranging from infants to elementary-aged children.
The Jesus Storybook Bible Board Book Series by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago (ZonderKidz)
Titles Include: Found, Loved, Near, Happy, Known, Strong
Ideal For: Infants and toddlers; as a gift for new parents
As a brand new mom, I imagined reading Sally Lloyd-Jones’ treasured Jesus Storybook Bible (see below) with my son right away. I quickly found I had to scale my expectations, as the entries are more suitable for older children. Thankfully, ZonderKidz has published a number of these pared down books, each featuring a single psalm or other text. Each is in keeping with Lloyd-Jones’ prose in the beloved original (affectionately known by many of my former youth group students as the “JSB”).
These shorter volumes, which feature even more of Jago’s eye-catching illustrations than the original, have been in heavy rotation at our house during the infant and toddler years. As babies, my boys loved the high contrast pages. And as they became more verbal, they requested these books daily. You can find Lloyd-Jones’ reading of each book on Instagram!
Lift the Flap Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Tracy Moroney (Studio Fun International)
Ideal For: Infants and toddlers; as a gift for new parents
Like most babies, my older son became obsessed with lift-a-flap everything around nine months old. So I was delighted to stumble across this sweet selection of Bible stories, which Lloyd-Jones retells for a very young audience in her lovely, lilting writing. (I can’t help but imagine her reading it aloud!)
There was a season for each of my boys when they wanted to rip off the flaps, so we ended up with two copies of this precious book. My youngest still requests it well into his toddlerhood. There is something about the activity of lifting flaps that keeps even the busiest little bodies engaged.
The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible by Jared Kennedy, illustrated by Trish Mahoney (New Growth Press)
Ideal For: Toddlers; children with cognitive disabilities; teaching a group of children
In the church I served most recently as a youth and family minister, Sunday school teachers used this book in our nursery classrooms. Each entry includes several pages with a brief story and one question to ask little ones, making it wonderful to use in a group setting. After introducing this one to my youngest son, it became an instant hit in our household as well. He particularly loves the image of David and Goliath and the illustrated comparison of Goliath (tall!) and David (short!). When we read through chronologically, he is fond of asking “just one more!” again and again.
Jared Kennedy’s writing is warm and engaging, the high-contrast illustrations are vivid, and you get a sense of the larger story of Scripture through these tightly written narratives. This aptly named “beginners” storybook Bible is a really nice step up from books geared toward infants as you start to teach more of the biblical story. I think this would also make a wonderful teaching resource for an older student who needs a more visual representation of the story.
God’s Big Promises Storybook Bible by Carl Laferton (The Good Book Company)
Ideal for: preschoolers and younger elementary-aged children
This has been a favorite of our family in the preschool years, though older children will certainly love it too! Carl Laferton is the author of The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross, which is also a fan favorite at our house. While he tells the biblical story in a straightforward and helpfully concrete way, his terms pack a lot of punch in conveying deeper meaning. For example, he uses the “Keep-out curtain” in the temple, “not-gods” as code for idols, and “living with Jesus as king” as a description of following Jesus. This careful attention to repeated definitions helps young children grasp the development of one story. The Good Book Company has included engaging icons that allow young readers to trace various biblical themes throughout the book, which my older son loves.
Practically speaking, we appreciate this storybook Bible because it involves enough page turning in each entry to hold a younger child’s attention. Starting around age two, we have frequently used this one for our bedtime Bible reading. It was the first Bible my older son began to engage with independently—often with a flashlight after lights out!
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung, illustrated by Don Clark (Crossway)
Ideal for: older preschoolers and elementary-aged children; family devotions spanning a variety of ages
I’ve been a longtime fan of Kevin DeYoung’s chapter book The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden, and our family has owned this longer Bible adaptation called The Biggest Story Bible Storybook for a year or more. Because our boys were so young at the time of purchase, we’ve just recently started making our way through it—and it is a treat!
Kevin DeYoung is clearly dialed in to the kinds of questions young children have about the Bible, and he offers funny asides that my five-year-old finds engaging. I’ve been impressed to notice that he includes tidbits other children’s Bibles tend to leave out—for example, the entry on the Tower of Babel begins with an explanation about the Table of Nations, which I can’t recall ever seeing in a children’s Bible. While the entries are a bit long for my two-year-old, Don Clark’s wonderful illustrations often catch his attention as we read together. I especially love that this Bible includes a brief prayer at the end of each entry! The prayers are short enough that even young children can read or repeat them together.
The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski, illustrated by A.E. Macha (New Growth Press)
Ideal for: elementary-aged children, especially those familiar with the Bible’s storyline
With 156 entries, this Bible storybook is the longest option on this list (in a good way!). The artwork is more pared down than some others, making it a fitting choice for older children or those who have a fair amount of exposure to the Bible’s narrative.
Marty Machowski offers more teaching on each of the selected passages than many other children’s Bibles (vs. straight storytelling), and I love that he quotes whole verses from each passage. In addition to these unique features, he also draws explicit connections between the Old and New Testaments, quoting from supporting texts in each entry. All of these qualities make this an excellent “bridge” Bible storybook to share with elementary schoolers before they move on to reading more of the full biblical text for themselves. If I were still in full-time family ministry, I would consider giving this volume to new readers (i.e. first or second graders) each year.
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago (ZonderKidz)
Ideal For: Elementary-aged children; as a teaching aid for teenagers
Beloved for its Christocentric interpretation of the Bible, I think it’s fair to say this is the book that more or less started the recent children’s Bible revolution. I had it on my personal bookshelf long before I became a mom, often reading it devotionally. Lloyd-Jones’ boldness in biblical interpretation helped me get started teaching biblical theology as a youth minister.
I found this book helpful in teaching older elementary students, and even teenagers, to understand how every story in the Bible contributes to the one story of God’s rescuing his people through Jesus. This is an especially lovely storybook Bible to read aloud on account of the artful writing. At age five, my older son is showing more interest in the stories, and we often read this book together at bedtime. I trust it will be a telling of the biblical story that will shape my boys’ lives as it has mine.
Bonus Recommendation: Scripture Memory Resources
Developmentally, preschoolers are tiny sponges. They have an uncanny, seemingly limitless potential for memorization. That insight, initially shared by a good friend ahead of us on the parenting journey, has motivated us to look for Scripture memory resources. (I’m not sure it would have been our instinct otherwise.) We recommend Slugs and Bugs “Sing the Bible” albums one through four and Shai Linne’s “Books of the Bible” song for the toddler years and beyond.
As Christian parents, it’s our high calling and our delight to introduce our children to the Lord by sharing his Word with them. My husband and I have been blessed to see our boys begin to internalize the story of the Bible through the resources mentioned here. I hope you will have the same joy as you choose a Bible storybook appropriate to your family’s unique stage. By God’s grace, may our little ones come to treasure God’s Word and follow him.
Looking for more resources and encouragement in your parenting? Check out the Rooted Parent Podcast and the Asian American Parenting Podcast.
