Books To Help Us Share Faith With Our Very Young Kids

I wasn't raised a person of faith, so finding the resources to share faith with my kids can sometimes feel like a bushwhack.

Here are some of the resources I'm leaning on.


1. The Toddler's Bible

I love that my toddlers love Bible stories, but I don't always love having to explain the violent parts.  Three kids thrown into a fiery furnace?  I mean, aren't questions like "Why did Jesus cry out, Mommy?" enough?  Can we save some of the gore  and child abandonment stuff for when they're at least old enough for Godly Play?

The Toddler's Bible solves this problem by telling the stories in a way that's appropriate for those three and under.  In other words, "Goliath fell down," rather than "David killed Goliath, confusing as that may be for you, since David is a hero but killing is bad."  This eliminates the need to extemporaneously excise chunks of the Bible, which can be hard to do skillfully when you're exhausted at tuck-in time.


The illustrations are simple and charming (hooray for dark-skinned Jesus!) and the focus is on giving little ones an open, grateful, receiving heart toward God.  I showed it to my friend Mae once when I accidentally brought it into the sanctuary, thinking it was my Bible.  I giggled, but Mae said, "The Holy Spirit's in there just the same."
 

2. The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 

This is a cute devotional with a short, toddler-relevant reading for each day.  It's illustrated with sweet and relatable boys and girls, and there's a Bible verse and prayer that goes with each reading.

Liv often asks me to read her each entry three or four times. 


 3. DK Read & Listen: First Bible Story Book (DK Read & Listen)

Is it naughty to pick a Bible storybook for your children based on the criterion that you loved the publisher's city guide to Florence in 1997?

Not that I know anyone who would ever do that.

Dorling Kindersley do their homework and make beautiful books.  This storybook is the perfect next step up from the Toddler's Bible, when the kids are ready for more detailed words and pictures.

4. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

Mommy On Fire put this on her TBR list for this year, so I had to check it out.  And lo, 224 Amazon reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars, not to mention this endorsement from my extreme theological crush du jour Tim Keller:

"I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian--from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God's revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning--a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned."

Put another way, this book top-lines the entire Bible so tired parents don't have to improvise these top-lines on our own.  I just ordered this one and I know we're going to love it.