There are so many great Children’s Bibles. Although I have quite the collection of them for my family, I still have a very long wish list of more that I want! Please know that I have not read every Children’s Bible out there, but I do want to share some of my favorites and what to look for in the best kid’s bibles.
The most important thing when introducing the Bible to your little ones is to keep it fun! If your kids don’t enjoy the time spent with you in God’s Word, it will not engage them or excite them. God’s love for them is so incredible and by no means is it boring. However, the full-text Bible is not developmentally appropriate for our young kiddos and can, if presented inappropriately, harden their hearts to engaging in an on-going relationship with Jesus.
On Translations
Personally, I am not super strict when it comes to Bible translations. I think God can use them all in some way, but if you have strong convictions regarding your translation, by all means, honor your convictions.
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The Best Kid’s Bibles for Babies and Toddlers
The Baby Bible Series
I love The Baby Bible Series by Robin Currie. These sturdy little board books cover a variety of themes like ABCs and 1, 2, 3s, stories about Jesus, animals, and songs. The stories are super short, just 1 page each, and include ideas for hand motions and actions. They will keep your little ones engaged and having fun. I believe there are 9 books in the series, but there are some with multiple editions, so my count may be off a bit. Here are a few that we love:
Lift the Flap Bible
In this Lift the Flap Bible board book are 14 stories from the Old Testament and Gospels for your little ones to explore. While practicing their fine motor skills, little ones, will peek behind 40 flaps to see what is hiding. Each story is one page long, but the flaps and illustrations provide opportunities to spend more time engaging the text if your child is eager to do so. The amazing Sally Lloyd Jones, author of the Jesus Storybook Bible, retold favorite Bible stories. She writes with such special care of God’s Word and an obvious love for children.
The Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers
I love the design of the Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers! This is a hardback book with a handle and velcro closure. It’s perfect for toddlers to carry around the house or in the car. The pages are just paper, so if you have a ripper, beware. 😉 With almost 160 pages, each story ranges from about 4 to 8 pages long. There are just a few sentences on each page with a cutesy illustration.
One thing I really like, is that although the art is kinda cartoony, there is a lot of expression and emotions on the characters faces. I like to help my kids connect with the story by asking them how they think different characters feel about what is going on in the story. We do this so often, my 2 year old twins would go through one of our Easter books on their own just pointing at people and saying, “she sad,” “he mad,” “she happy.” It helps them learn about emotions, practice empathy, connect with the story, and learn the Bible… all at the same time!! Woohoo!
BONUS!!!
This is not a Bible, but it is my all-time favorite devotional for babies and toddlers, Playtime Devotions. Written for little ones from birth to 3, each page has a Key Thought; Bible Verse; Game, Rhyme, or Song; and a Prayer. There is no deep theology, but simple truths and activities that make a devotional time with your littlest ones a little less intimidating. While you can’t buy it new on Amazon, there are still used copies available.
The Best Kid’s Bibles for Preschoolers
Children of God Storybook Bible
I don’t know why I don’t know more families using the Children of God Storybook Bible. It is FANTASTIC! I absolutely love it!! This global Children’s Bible contains 56 stories retold by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Each story has a short theme, title, Scripture reference, the story, and a prayer. The stories are so sweetly written, you will enjoy reading them to your kids as much as they enjoy them. The stories are short enough that babies and toddlers will enjoy this one, too.
My favorite part of the book is the art. The artwork is so beautiful and diverse. 20 different artists from around the world contributed to the illustrations. Each illustrator was given the freedom and encouragement to represent their culture and artistic style in their work. Kids will be creatively inspired by the diversity and range shared in the illustrations of this book.
The Jesus Storybook Bible
If you have heard or read anything about the best kid’s Bibles in the past 10 years or so, you have already heard about Sally Lloyd Jones’ the Jesus Storybook Bible. I mentioned Jones above as the author of the Lift the Flap Bible. She truly did something beautiful with this Storybook Bible. With the subtitle of “Every Story Whispers His Name,” Jesus is made wonderfully evident throughout both the Old and New Testament. The illustrations definitely add to the beauty of text this Bible.
Though engaging, the stories are a bit longer in this one. The book contains 44 stories and is about 350 pages long. Below, the image on the right links to the Collector’s Edition with both CDs and DVDs of the stories using illustrations from the book. It’s a fun way to experience the story visually, independently, or on the go.
Jesus Calling Bible Storybook
Written by Sarah Young of the Jesus Calling devotionals, the Jesus Calling Bible Storybook is another of the best kid’s Bible for sure. Each story ends with a verse that reiterates the focus of the story and short devotional written from the perspective of Jesus to your child.
I really like the layout of this book. For example, there are 4 individual stories about Abraham under the heading “God’s Friend.” This helps children understand that stories go together into one longer story. As they begin to understand that in smaller pieces of the Bible, we can help them to understand how the whole Bible is one continuous story of God and His love for us.
The Best Kid’s Bibles for Kids in Elementary School
Storybook Bibles
For this age, I definitely recommend to continue using any of the above Storybook Bibles. Both the Jesus Storybook Bible and the Jesus Calling Bible Storybook have a little bit longer stories than the Children of God Storybook Bible. I had a pastor that recommended The Jesus Storybook Bible to new Christian adults as way to help them get the full story of God’s love in a condensed and easy to read, yet moving way. I heard a podcast with Sally Lloyd Jones and she has even redesigned a version of the book for adults now, but I digress. All of the above Storybook Bibles will translate well with elementary aged kiddos.
Full-Text Kid’s Bibles
Hands-on Bible
We are not here yet as a family, but this Hands-on Bible is the one that I used to gift to my third grade students at one of the churches where I served. The kids and their families loved it! It is on my wish list for home. I’ll also use it as one of the options my oldest will have this summer as we select her first full-text Bible. Written in an engaging way for kids, this Bible has lots of extra features like introductions to each book, timelines, biographies, science experiments, crafts, snacks, and key verses activities. Jesus is pointed to in each books’ intro, too, which is awesome. There’s a free 54 page devotional and music on their website that goes with the Bible, which is a nice little bonus. It is written in the New Living Translation (NLT), which I love.
Adventure Bible
Key verses, fun facts, bios, maps, Bible dictionary, historical help, colored pictures, and more! The Adventure Bible for Early Readers has many resources for understanding God’s Word in a fun and developmentally appropriate way. Many families in my ministry have used this Bible with their kiddos and loved it. It is written in the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV), a modification of the NIV adapted for a younger audience.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kid’s Bibles
What’s the difference between a full-text Bible and a Storybook Bible?
- A full-text Bible is the complete Bible that is used by most adults and churches. It comes in many different translations. Most of the time, it will not have an author. The layout is book, chapter, and verse.
- A Storybook Bible is a selection of stories taken from the Bible. Most of the time, they are not words straight from the Bible, but rewritten for children and illustrated. These Storybook Bibles most often have an author. The layout is typically a collection of short stories.
When can kids switch from a Storybook Bible to a full-text Bible?
I recommend that kiddos begin using an age appropriate full-text kid’s Bible once they are reading well independently and have a desire to do so. We do not want to push the Bible on our kids in a way that will be a stumbling block. Kids can always use more than one type of Bible, I know I do!
My oldest is just finishing up Kindergarten and we will be getting her a full-text kid’s Bible this summer. We will use the slower summer months to continue to use the Storybook Bibles we have and to begin to show her how the full-text Bible is laid out. This will allow her time to get comfortable with it. Her reading level is still in the Storybook range for solo reading, but she currently does some Bible Journaling with me in an old full-text Bible of mine. We will read it mostly together for the next year or two. By second or third grade, I think she will be doing independent Quiet Times in her full-text Bible.
What Bible translation is best for kid’s Bibles?
My personal favorite is the New Living Translation. It is written at about a 6th grade level, but I have personally used it successfully in children’s ministry for many years for kids even in preschool.
Another popular one is New International Readers Version (NIrV). I don’t have a ton of experience with this one. However, I have used it some in Children’s Ministry and done some research. It is the most commonly suggested translation for early readers. The NIrV is based on the NIV, but with the purpose to make it easier to read. It’s a 3rd grade reading level.
Any translation that your family is comfortable with using and your kids enjoy!
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Kid’s Bibles
- The Bible is God’s Word and one of the ways that God shares His incredible love with you and your kids. Don’t let time spent in the Word be boring. Find the best kid’s Bible that works for your family and dive in with excitement, fun, and play!
- What do you think is the best kid’s Bibles? Is there one that I have missed and should add to my Amazon cart today? Leave me a comment below and let me know. I’d love to check it out.
