Exodus Books Newsletter: Bible Stories for Children

While many of you are freaking out about back-to-school season, we've decided to take a deep breath and focus on a topic too-often neglected: teaching our children about the stories in God's Word. This shouldn't be too difficult since kids love stories (probably more than their mothers love weird food combinations during pregnancy), and since the Bible is full of the awesomest stories around.

If we're serious about raising godly men and women, we need to be just as serious about teaching them the truth found only in the Bible. God reveals Himself to us primarily through stories of His people; by learning these stories, our children will begin to better understand their own role in the continuing story of God's redemption of mankind.

We don't carry a lot of books of individual Bible stories, focusing instead on larger collections. While none of these books include all the stories, they offer a sense of the Bible's overall flow that many similar books lack. Once kids get older it's important to move on to the Bible itself, but in their younger years they often need something a bit more comprehensible. To help you find the most age-appropriate Bible storybooks, we've divided what we offer into three groups: books for ages 2-4, 4-7, and 7-12. All are 20% off for the month of September.

The Beginner's Bible is best used as a read-aloud and features cartoony illustrations and a smattering of famous Bible stories. More complete and focusing on the flow of Biblical history, The Big Picture Story Bible also includes thoughtful questions to aid retention. The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes pairs 184 paragraph-length Bible stories with one-page full-color illustrations, with the text acting as commentary on and explanation of the pictures. Our favorite for this age group, The Jesus Story Book Bible is humorous, Reformed, and demonstrates the presence of Christ throughout the entirety of Scripture. Early readers will enjoy the ease of My First Bible in Pictures, while parents will appreciate the honesty and faithfulness of its interpretations.

Though not one of our favorites, The Beginner’s Bible is one of the more popular children’s Bibles we carry. This Bible features 96 stories, evenly split between the Old and New Testaments. Each story spreads over several pages and includes very cartoony pictures. Stories of a more difficult nature, including the story of Cain and Able, are skipped entirely. The language is quite simple and is probably best read aloud to 2-4 year olds, or for early readers to explore on their own.

The Big Picture Story Bible divides the whole Bible into 26 larger connected sections, emphasizing the flow of Biblical history. As a result, stories that don’t fit into larger themes (Tower of Babel, Lot, Job, etc.) are often skipped, though this tendency is more prevalent for the OT. Intended as read-alouds for ages 2-5, these mulitple-page stories are heavy on illustrations and light on text, with cartoony but artistic illustrations. It's essential that kids understand the entire scope of the story of God and His people, not just seemingly unrelated incidents, and this book is a great way to start them toward such understanding.

Because most 2-4 year olds aren't able to understand the complex language of the Bible, Kenneth Taylor has reduced 184 of its most familiar stories to paragraph-length and paired each one with a full-page color picture. The text is written as commentary on the illustrations, and the questions at the end of each story are dependent on both the paragraph and the picture. This shouldn't be used as more than an introduction to the main stories in the Bible for preschool children. We prefer the older edition (no longer available), with its classier illustrations. The shortness of each story in this volume, however, makes it excellent for holding the attention of the very young.

This Bible storybook by Sally Lloyd-Jones is one of our favorites: each story is told in its relationship to Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Probably best for 2-4 year olds, the stories are just as enjoyable for older kids and adults. Lloyd-Jones writes in an engaging style that is by turns deeply serious and wildly hilarious, but always reverent. There are 44 stories that vary in length. The stylized full-color illustrations fill every page and legitimately contribute to the text. There is no moralizing or wrestling Scripture out of context to suit the author's agenda (Bible references are included so you can check for yourself). If you want your kids to grow up with a love of the Bible and its narrative, this is an excellent place to begin. The deluxe version also includes a three-disc audiobook read by british actor David Suchet (our family loves this!)

101 Favorite Stories from the Bible includes many often-neglected tales and doesn't shy away from the violent ones (though stories of an explicitly sexual nature are excluded or glossed). Focusing on events and people rather than theology, The Family-Time Bible in Pictures is beautifully illustrated and includes discussion questions. For a simple overview of the Bible's narrative arc, The Children's Bible in 365 Stories is a solid choice. The Eager Reader Bible introduces beginning readers to foundational Bible stories.

365 Great Bible Stories focuses on the presence of Christ throughout the biblical narrative. Starr Meade's The Mighty Acts of God imparts biblical and theological truth through well-written stories with Scripture references. The New Children's Bible highlights key individuals in the history of redemption, imparting a Covenantal understanding of God's work. (The Mighty Acts of God and The New Children's Bible are also good choices for slightly older kids.) Particularly useful for 4-7 year olds, but beneficial for the entire family, The Gospel Story Bible illustrates Jesus' story throughout both Testaments, along with thought-provoking discussion starters.

This book features two-page spreads of well known Bible stories. For each story, the first page features the basic lesson with Scripture references. The facing page includes a fairly classy picture with related Bible verse, and three questions for children. The 105 stories included are fairly evenly split between Old and New Testament. The selection of stories is well-balanced and includes some less well-known stories like Jehoshaphat’s Singing Army. It doesn’t shy away from difficult or more violent stories like the story of Cain and Abel, though stories of a more sexual nature such as those of Lot and David and Bathsheba are not included, or are only briefly and carefully mentioned.

The Family-Time Bible in Pictures covers the scope of biblical history from Genesis to the Revelation of St. John (Job is the only major story left out). Best suited for kids preschool-2nd grade, the simple text and incredible illustrations (somehow realistic and stylized simultaneously) convey a sense of the narrative of Scripture. Like Kenneth Taylor's other story Bibles, this one focuses on events and people rather than theology, though of course the story of redemption and God's character come through. This is best used as an introduction to the flow of the biblical narrative, though, and not to teach key doctrine or illuminate the deeper truths of Scripture.

Each of the entries in The Children's Bible in 365 Stories includes the appropriate Scripture reference at the top, followed by Mary Batchelor's engaging text that is remarkably faithful to the original texts. Each story is about one page, and every two stories are accompanied by a full-color somewhat idealized illustration. Batchelor avoids the common mistake of moralizing, instead presenting events as they happened. This is probably best for ages 4-7, or any young child who simply needs a good overview of the narrative arc of Scripture before delving into it on their own.

Christian kids need to learn the content of the Bible from their earliest years, but most young readers can't manage reading the biblical narrative on their own. This story Bible tries to solve that problem by distilling the salient stories of Scripture into easy-to-read 4-page stories for beginning readers (ages 4-8). The Old Testament stories are generally of the David and Goliath variety, while almost all the New Testament stories are taken from the life and parables of Christ. This is a basic introduction to the major Bible stories, though it tends to be reductionistic and to lack the insight into God's character the original stories carry.

Author Carine MacKenzie understands that the central theme, the controlling plot element, and the most important aspect of God's Word is Jesus Christ. In an effort to impress this on children (ages 4-7), she's written this colorfully illustrated Bible storybook that identifies Christ in all the major stories of both the Old and New Testaments. Each story fits on one page, along with its Scripture reference, a full-color illustration, and a deeper thought to reflect on that deals directly with the story. This Gospel-centered approach aims to familiarize young kids with the major themes and stories of God's Word, and we thoroughly recommend it.

Starr Meade's Mighty Acts of God focuses on stories that display God's character, drawing special attention to how He works and who He is. Each of the 90 stories is three pages with 1-2 full color illustrations reminiscent of old anime. The illustrations might make you think this is for very young kids, but due to the writing style and depth of concepts discussed we wouldn't recommend this for kids younger than K-3. Meade's focus on the character of God Himself is what distinguishes this from other story book Bibles. Scripture is seen as a monolitihic narrative, not a series of sketches, and this continuity is evidenced throughout. A rarity, this is definitely one of our favorites.

The compelling stylized illustrations are probably the first thing you'll notice about this story Bible for K-3rd graders. Neither cartoony nor wholly realistic, they capture the essence of what's going on in the story. There are 100 stories focusing primarily on key individuals in the history of redemption. Each story begins with the appropriate Scripture reference, and parents are encouraged to read these as well in preface. De Vries' text is thoroughly readable, and he takes no liberties with the Scriptural accounts. Whether you want to provide your kids a clear overview of the Bible, or just offer them something edifying to read, this is an excellent choice.

The story of the Bible is the story of Jesus and His good news of salvation. This book follows the thread of Christ through both the Old and New Testaments, showing how every aspect of the Scriptural narrative points to Jesus' sacrifice and divine redemption. Each story is presented in a 2-page spread, complete with colorful, stylized illustrations, the story text, and the Scriptural reference where the story can be found. Machowski uses simple language, but his stories are full of biblical doctrine equally valuable for new and old Christians, young children and adults. The text is probably best suited to 4-7 year olds, but again, believers of any age will benefit from the content. This is destined to become one of our favorites.

The Egermeier's Bible Story Book is a classic of its kind, simply presenting well-known Bible stories with wholesome illustrations and a moralistic tone. Also a classic, but much better at imparting theological truths, The Child's Story Bible even works as a doctrinal introduction for adult new believers. The Children's Illustrated Bible supplements the famous Bible stories with information about the people and times, maps, etc.

The Golden Children's Bible takes kids through the major stories in chronological order, employing a modified "King James" prose that is neither dumbed-down nor too difficult. For a slightly broader age range (8-12), both The Picture Bible and The Action Bible offer the crucial stories of the Bible in comic book format. If you want your kids introduced to the major stories and themes of the Bible in the Bible's own words, the ESV Illustrated Family Bible pairs beautiful illustrations with extended excerpts from the English Standard Version of God's Word.

The Egermeier's Bible Story Book is a classic of its kind. Originally published in 1922, it was revised in 1963 and continues to be used as a primer for young elementary kids to the scope of stories in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Each story is engaging and thorough. This volume is one of the most comprehensive we've seen, with stories covering Job, the inter-Testamental period, and more. 121 full-color, full-page pictures by Clive Uptton illustrate. This is probably best suited for kids grades K-3, though most won't be able to read the stories on their own till around 2nd grade. Despite an occasional moralistic tone, this is a good introduction to the sweep of biblical history through its major (and some minor) events.

Initially published in three volumes, this much-loved Bible storybook by the wife of theologian Geerhardus Vos is still as engaging—and accurate!—as it was on first publication over 50 years ago. Illustrations are beautiful but sparse: 39 total oil paintings for the entire volume. Because there is so much text this one is ideal for 1st-4th graders, though 1st graders will most likely need to be read to rather than tackling it on their own. None of the Bible's major plot points are missed, and none of the Gospel story is omitted. This is certainly a child's story Bible, but the stories are well written to the point many older kids or even adults may enjoy them. We wouldn't encourage this as a substitution for actual Scripture reading, but it makes an excellent introduction and could even work as a commentary of sorts for elementary students.

Because the emphasis is on facts, this book avoids any doctrinal emphasis, focusing instead on the cultures, places and people in the Bible. Each of the 148 stories features a two-page spread of pictures and text; the stories themselves are written in a style best suited for 1st-4th graders. While this isn't a study Bible by any stretch, there is plenty of information to supplement a young student's understanding of the overall context of the Biblical narrative. Illustrations range from stylized to realistic to actual photographs of Bible lands, plants, animals, etc. A lot of what kids read in the Bible doesn't make a lot of sense by modern standards, and having key cultural and historical concerns explained will help immeasurably in their understanding of Scripture.

The Golden Children's Bible is a story bible beautifully illustrated and written in a simplified "King James" style. The book helps the reader to put stories in chronological order. For example, the story of David begins with his anointing and ends with his death. Originally published in the 1960s, the Golden Children's Bible was approved by an editorial board consisting of leaders from the Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths. There are some notable omissions—Isaac's near sacrifice at the hands of Abraham, Job and Esther are all missing—but overall this volume provides an excellent overview of the key points in the Biblical narrative.

Every kid loves comics. And for more than 30 years, The Picture Bible has been a favorite of young and old. Now updated with interesting new features, including "Did you know?" fact pages, time line, story listing, maps, and more, kids will love the great stories and action pictures of the newly revised Picture Bible. God's Word will come alive for hours of family reading enjoyment. Not always the most accurate of interpretations, but a worthy book to spend time poring over (certainly more beneficial than X-Men or Arkham Asylum). It offers a few more stories than The Action Bible, up next.

This high-quality comic-style story Bible for kids covers all the major plot points in the Old and New Testaments in a seamless narrative. This is best for 8-12 year olds. They can read the text on their own, and the colorful and action-oriented pictures will engage and intrigue them. The idea is that kids familiarize themselves with the content of the Bible before delving into it unaided; the only real issue we've seen with this particular text is its tendency to shorten some stories. The narrative is fast-moving and the illustrations attractive. The Action Bible is broadly evangelical in attitude and presentation, making this a good jumping-off place for deeper conversations with your growing kids.

The ESV Illustrated Family Bible is simply one of the best children's story Bibles we offer. Each of the 270 stories is a selection taken directly from the English Standard Version of the Bible, with no editing or paraphrase. Zbigniew Freus' illustrations are engaging and both idealized and realistic. While this isn't the entire Bible, it does contain the salient passages. This is probably best for kids aged 8-12, but if you want to do family devotions without some of the really difficult parts (like genealogies), the ESV Illustrated Family Bible can be read to children (and adults) of any age. These are, after all, simply passages from the Word of God itself. We're happy to offer this book, and hope your family enjoys it as much as we have.