These 10 BEST Christian picture books will provide kids with a comprehensive picture of God’s plan of salvation and your child’s place in it.
As the Director of Children’s Ministries at my church, I have scoured the Christian picture book world over the past 12 years, looking for excellent books to recommend to “my” families.
Why Read Christian Picture Books?
Filling your child’s bookshelf with good quality Christian picture books is a fabulous way to talk about faith naturally and easily with your kids.
It’s as easy as pulling out a book or two and putting them on the couch. I can guarantee that within minutes, your child will be begging you to read them! What a great way to talk to your child about God, the Bible, and salvation without it feeling awkward or forced.
Why You Should Use MY List of the Best Christian Picture Books
As a mom and former Children’s Ministries Director, I have read bazillions of library books and learned which ones truly engage children.
As a writer, I have sluiced through hundreds of the top books, both Christian and secular, figuring out what makes them good and why kids like them. I also have been able to keep up with what’s new in Christian publishing because I’ve developed friendships with many other Christian picture book authors.
You, dear reader, get to take advantage of my years of research and experience!
What follows is a list of THE best Christian picture books on the market today. In fact, if you bought all 10, I have no doubt that you would have a fantastic library of books that your kids would come back to repeatedly, and that you would enjoy reading to them.
I originally created this list in 2017, and despite seeing MANY Christian children’s book fill the market over the past few years, I still stand by this list.
Now, I know there are a lot of great books out there.
(don’t believe me? Check out my book review YouTube channel!)
I picked these ones specifically, because separately they are amazing, but together, they create a multi-faceted picture of God, the plan of salvation, and how this makes a difference in our lives today. None of the books overlap, and none of these are basic Bible stories you could find for cheaper in a compilation children’s Bible.
Here Is How I Chose Each Picture Book:
1) God is the focus
I have read some great allegorical and metaphorical books, but since young kids aren’t able to think abstractly, I think these books have limited value for them. (They DO have value, but more for older kids, or as books they remember later in life, when they finally connect the dots.) The books on my list all talk explicitly about God and provide spiritual value to your kids NOW.
2) Good for multiple ages, both genders
There are a lot of fabulous faith-based books that are about trucks and princesses, but I wanted your library to appeal to ALL your kids.
Also, I chose books that aren’t (a) preschool-y or (b) contain so much text that the average 4 year old couldn’t handle it. Again, I want this library of books to appeal to ALL your kids. (well, at least the ones age 3-10!)
3) Emphasis on God’s grace
No legalistic books allowed! These books all showcase God’s incredible love and grace, making your child WANT to know and obey Him.
4) Engaging story
What’s worse than a boring kids book? An ANNOYING kids book! You won’t read it to your kids if you don’t like it too. Am I right?? Each of these stories is engaging for kids AND adults. Almost all of these books have made me choke up when reading them, so I know they’re well-written and speak to a heart-need.
5) Excellent illustrations
I have found a lot of books with a TON of text and totally boring illustrations. You can have the awesomest story in the world, but if the illustrations are sparse or boring, no kid is going to want you to read it to them.
Those are my super-picky criteria for a great Christian kids book. If you think they sound like your cup of tea, you’re ready to get my awesome list! Enter your details here or click on the picture and I’ll send it right over.
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