Looking for a Bible to gift to a child in your life?
Or maybe you want Bible storybook ideas for your own children!
Any age is a great age for teaching them about the love of God and what Jesus has done for us–seriously, it’s never too early to begin reading the Bible to our kids :)
So I’m sharing our favorite Bibles for kids! I’ve broken it down into baby/toddler, preschool/early elementary, and “older kids” age categories.
What makes a children’s Bible storybook good?
How do you know what makes a good children’s Bible? A mom recently asked me:
I want to get my kids a bible, but I’m so confused because there are so many to choose from. Do you have any suggestions of one to purchase, one that is child-friendly will give them the truth?
We’re very particular about Bible storybooks and Bibles for kids. Some of them just aren’t that great. The Bible in this list are:
- As close to the original wording of the Scriptures as possible, if applicable
- Engaging and will keep your kids’ attention
- Nurturing for your child’s faith because they are biblically sound in the way the message of Christ is delivered
Remember that some of these are Bible storybooks, and other suggestions are word-for-word bibles.
We’ve chosen for our own children Bibles that we believe do reflect and represent the actual Scriptures well and so these are the same ones that I’m recommending to you!
The Ultimate List of Children’s Bible Storybooks for All Ages
**Originally published November 27, 2017, updated 2023
Baby/Toddler Bible Storybooks – Ages 0-3
1) The Rhyme Bible Storybook – Just like it says, this is a rhyming story Bible. The illustrations are nice and engaging and the verse form can easily stick in young children’s minds. Ages 18 months and up!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Rhyme Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
2) Little Golden Bible – This is a board book with sweet illustrations and is perfect for babies!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Little Golden Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
3) Look and Find Bible Storybook – I would probably use this one for church or keeping kids busy on the go. It’s a search-and-find with flaps to lift and things that you can circle with a dry-erase marker or crayon. There are actually a variety of different “look and find” Bible stories in this collection. I’d recommend it for ages 2-4.
**If you prefer not to shop on Amazon, you can get The Look and Find Bible Storybook at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
4) Lift the Flap Bible – This sweet Bible story is written by Sally Lloyd Jones (the same author of the Jesus Storybook Bible) and is great for interactive readers who love flaps! Both Old and New Testament stories are included. Good for ages 1-2.
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can get The Lift the Flap Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
Preschool/Early Elementary Bible Storybook Ideas – ages 4-7
1) The Beginner’s Bible – Though the cartoon illustrations aren’t my favorite, this one has simple wording that is good for beginning readers and I like how The Beginner’s Bible sticks to the actual Biblical account and uses words from Scripture. There is a mix of well-known and not-so-common Bible stories. I’ve used this one for ages 4-7, and after that my kids have been able to move on to something more detailed.
**If you prefer not to shop on Amazon, you can get The Beginner’s Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
2) Jesus Storybook Bible from Sally Lloyd Jones – the illustrations are unique but my children love this engaging Bible storybook. It covers all of Scripture and has a lot of Biblical accounts that aren’t as familiar, which I love. Every story points back to the Rescuer, Jesus, and I love how that helps children understand that all of Scripture points to Christ.
Recommended for 4-7 specifically but my 9-year-old reads it on her own! It’s one we’ll always keep around.
**If you prefer not to shop on Amazon, you can also find the Jesus Storybook Bible at Christian Book Distributors, along with many companion items, by clicking HERE.
3) The Story Bible from Concordia Publishing – I’ve talked a LOT about this one at the blog, and it’s because it’s our absolute favorite. The text is based heavily on the ESV and yet is worded in such a way that even the very young can understand. At the end of every story, there are questions for discussion and a review of what was just read.
The illustrations are beautiful, in my opinion, better than any other Bible storybook out there. Hardcover and nicely bound, I’d recommend it for ages 4 and up.
My 11-year-old will still read The Story Bible. It works well to bridge the gap between storybook Bibles for the very young and a full-text Bible.
4) A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories – this is an older book with simple text and descriptive illustrations going through about 60 accounts from the Bible. The copy we have is my mom’s from 1948! Good for ages 2 and up! You can still find it on Amazon.
If you prefer not to shop on Amazon, you can find A Children’s Garden of Bible Stories at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
5) Read Aloud Bible Stories – These are collections of Biblical stories, and there are several volumes. (Find all of them HERE).
Published by Moody Publishing, these are great for ages 2-5!
Bible Storybooks for Older Children – ages 9-12
Although we feel our older kids (9 and 11) benefit from just reading straight Scripture, I still believe there is value in breaking up different biblical accounts into “bite-size pieces” for devotional purposes. So here are a couple of suggestions for your older ones!
1) 365 Bedtime Bible Stories – This is an older book, and simply contains stories from the Bible that are easily understood with no added “fluff”. They are broken down into one-page readings. With very few illustrations, this one would be good for kids who are fluent readers or who enjoy listening to read-alouds. I’d recommend ages 5 and up.
If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can find 365 Read Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
2) Egermeier’s Bible Storybook – Our oldest child received this as a gift, and to be honest I didn’t touch it for years. It looked like it might not be interesting, but I was so wrong! The illustrations are “classic” but engaging and I appreciate that the author sticks closely to the original Scriptures.
We have the older version and the new copies are the same stories but put into more of a devotional form, rather than the prose of the original. If you want an original copy, you can find them used on Amazon.
Otherwise, do look into the newer version at Christian Book Distributors as it is still a wonderful choice!
Recommended for ages 6 and up as a read-aloud and for older children who want to read on their own.
There are maps, a concordance, book introductions for deeper understanding, and lots of interesting facts that help your kids really apply God’s Word to their lives.
I recommend for ages 7 and up!
**You can find it on Christian Book Distributors HERE (it also comes in blue and pink softcover) if you prefer not to shop Amazon.
4) The Action Bible Study Bible (ESV) – This is not to be confused with the comic-book-style version of The Action Bible. While the study Bible incorporates many comic book-type illustrations, it is the unabridged text in the ESV translation.
There are some amazing study tools in this Bible, that really allows for deep study of the text!
If your child doesn’t love to read, this would be a very engaging way to get them into God’s Word!
Recommended for ages 9 and up!
**If you prefer not to shop Amazon, you can find the ESV Study Bible at Christian Book Distributors HERE.
5) CSB Explorer Bible for Students
This is a newer Bible that uses the CSB (the updated version of the Holman Christian Standard Bible). I love how interactive it is and how it helps kids stay engaged if they find it difficult to read long passages all at once.
From the Amazon description: The CSB Explorer Bible for Kids helps kids place God’s Word in the middle of God’s world. Fascinating images, illustrations, timelines, and study helps show archeological evidence, introduce key characters, explain new concepts, and help kids experience the wonder and truth of the Bible. QR codes placed throughout the Bible bring educational videos, discussion questions, and activity pages to life, helping kids apply key truths of the Bible to real-world experiences.
Let these Bible storybooks and bibles become a treasure in your home or in the home of a child that you love!
WANT TO SPEAK WITH GRACE TO YOUR KIDS INSTEAD OF YELLING?
4 Comments on Best Children’s Bibles for Kids of All Ages
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The Rhyme Bible Storybook and the Jesus Storybook Bible are 2 of our absolute favorites! Several of the others I’ll have to keep in mind for a few years down the road, thanks!