This post is continuously updated. Last updated November 2021.

Secularism isn’t unbiased. Everyone believes in something, even if that something is that there isn’t anything greater out there. We reflect what we believe in what we create. When you’re looking for the next good book for your child to read, reach for one that reinforces the truth!

Here is a list of our favorite Christian children’s books (all of which we own ourselves) that serve up spiritual (Biblical!) nutrition for our kids. These books can help you teach your children vital Christian values and mindsets, as well as spark Bible-based conversations with them even when the story’s over!

Note: Links to purchase these books may contain affiliate links. You pay no additional costs, but we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

Let us know if you want ideas on how to incorporate lessons derived from them in your everyday.

Christian Children’s Books About Jesus

Jesus and His White Horse

You don’t have to look very hard to find a children’s book about Jesus’ birth, death, or resurrection. It’s a wee bit harder to find one that walks through His ultimate return. We snatched up this book as soon as it became available and love the dynamic writing, beautiful illustrations, and its place as a capstone in Christ’s story.

All You Ever Need

This beautifully illustrated children’s book is the story of a desert land, a kind well-owner named Tobias, his son Julian, a struggling servant named Elzevir, and a town full of imperfect—yet thirsty—villagers. This allegorical story is great to introduce your children to grace, our imperfect judgments and God’s ultimate goodness, and the hope of our Savior.

Conversation Idea: When your child is struggling with the idea of sharing, bring up this story and remind them that God is our provider and loves when we pass on what He’s given us.

The God Contest: The True Story of Elijah, Jesus, and the Greatest Victory

I can’t tell you how many times our daughter’s asked to reenact Elijah’s epic challenge on Mount Carmel. This book doesn’t just walk you through Elijah’s challenge against Ba’al, but ties in with Jesus’ resurrection and the contest that happens in each of our hearts.

Activity Ideas: Reenact the God contest (ages 2+), ask your kids to identify idols mentioned in other stories they read (ex. a character’s prideful goal or obsession).

Christian Children’s Books About God’s Faithfulness in Tough Times

It Will Be Okay: Trusting God Through Fear and Change

We’re big on preparing our girl for trials and tribulation. We want her to see them as inevitable and God as invincible rather than hardship as avoidable and God as a betrayer when He allows them into our lives. Books like this one help engrain powerful messages of God’s faithfulness is dark and scary times from a young age with cute characters and great storytelling.

Conversation Idea: Ask your child when they last felt like the little seed.

Activity Idea: Reenact being the little seed with a big blanket (to cover them up) and when it’s time to sprout, make a BIG deal about it.

Firebird

A little bird that loves the sunshine has to learn that even when the clouds and storms come, the sun is still shining on the other side. Another book to remind our kids that the darkness never wins and the light is always there.

Activity idea: On the next rainy day, ask your child if the sun is shining. If they say yes, agree and say that even when the clouds are covering the sun, the sun is still there. If they say no, let them know that we can’t see the light very well right now, but it’s still there just like God is always there even when our day doesn’t seem so happy.

Christian Children’s Books About the Gospel

The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross

Carl and Catalina’s series does a great job revealing the Scarlet Thread in their stories. This one is a great “overall” story with vivid imagery that you can use to help your children better understand why Jesus had to die, what the curtain tearing really means, and how we all fit into God’s plan.

The Very Best Plan

Shea’s cousin Amanda actually wrote this book, but that’s not why we recommend it. This book walks children through the story of sin and redemption and introduces the concept that we’re the Bride of Christ in a way that opens it up for discussion between you and your children. You can check out our interview with Amanda here.

Christian Children’s Books that Teach Bible Verses & History

Tiny Bear’s Bible

This was our little girls’ first “favorite” Bible that helped familiarize her with some major Bible stories. It’s cool because each topic also helps children see how God’s Word is relevant to their own lives in some way, especially if you point it out to them directly. It’s also a great help to read the cited verses for a specific story each time you read it with your child. Our girl often opted to look at this book all by herself on car rides. Always have a kid’s Bible in the car as a reading option!

Tonight: A Book of God’s Bedtime Promises

This is just a nice “slow down” book that is straight up verses. It’s so important for all of God’s children to be familiar with His promises and this is a great way to start. You can help your child understand a different verse a little more each time or include a different promise in your bedtime prayers each night.

The Bible Belles Series

Erin Weidemann created the Bible Belles series to offer children an alternative to Disney Princesses. Whether you’re a big Disney fan, indifferent, or passionately against it…they definitely know how to tell a story that kids want to hear…it’s just not always a story that reinforces God’s truth with a bit of finessing. Bible Belles follows the life of Rooney Cruz, her family, and her friends. A little guardian angel gives her windows into Biblical times so that Rooney can learn values and Biblical application from women of the Bible. Super cute. They also help your kids see how things may have looked in Old Testament times and can help children practice how to read a Bible story and apply it as a lesson in their own life. You can buy Bible Belles individually or as a set (there’s also a coloring book!).

Bible Readers (3 Stories in 1 Book)

These little gems are a bit harder to find (you can try eBay and Google Shopping) but all the ones I’ve collected have different stories that are a little harder to find in book form for kids, such as The Good Samaritan, Zacchaeus, and The Parable of the Talents. They are designed to help teaching reading skills and also help familiarize your children with additional portions of the Bible.

Christian Children’s Devotionals

Say & Pray Devotions

At first, we used this book to help our daughter learn daily words. Then we started using it to teach her thankfulness to God and how to pray throughout the day. Since it takes you through varying times of day and weekly situations, it quietly reinforces that prayer isn’t just for eating and bedtime.

Wise for Salvation: Meaningful Devotions for Families of Little Ones

This is a power-packed devotional for your whole family. It isn’t just a short reading (though the short readings are beautifully written and well thought-out), it’s also activities that can carry the lesson throughout the days and weeks after. A great capstone book to tie things together under God’s Word.

Christian Children’s Books About God’s Love

Don’t Forget to Remember

The imagery in this book blows me away every time we pull out this book. It’s also a great way to help your children (and yourself!) remember that it’s easy to forget what’s important and that what’s important is the most incredible truth ever. Definitely a family favorite in our house.

This Little Light of Mine

Our girl LOVES This Little Light of Mine, the song. So, we got her this super cute popup book so that we can sing along and visually see how God’s love, light, and truth are “catching” when we allow ourselves to be His lamp stand. The final page is “larger than life” and we make a big deal of it to keep the excitement of being God’s light even more vivid in her mind.

Adventures Of Adam Raccoon: Lost Woods (and, like, ALL of them!)

I grew up with Adam Raccoon and my portions of the series survived purge after purge of kid’s stuff so that my own kid(s) would have access to such good stories. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s that I even realized these were Christian books. Illustrated by a well-known Disney animator, these beautiful books walk kids through the Parables in creative, relatable ways. Lost Woods and Circus Master are two of my favorites, and we often reenact both after reading them. (If you haven’t realized by now, our girl LOVES to play pretend.)

Good Night Little One, God Loves You

Another bedtime favorite that features tons of cute animals and descriptive terms to help kids understand how God loves us. I recommend adding a Bible verse about God’s love on each page and swap that verse out for what the page actually says sometimes.

The Sea Kids Series

Sea Kids is a great supplemental series that continues to show how the Lord can be integrated into every aspect of our lives. They normalize prayer and Biblical values to reinforce that God can be a part of every situation and constantly referenced in our families. We also highly recommend the SeaKids TV series. Check out our interview with author Lee Ann Mancini here to hear her heart for children’s ministry!

Episodes about Raising Christian Kids