Children's Picture Bible Recommendations

Sometimes people ask me or my wife to recommend a children's picture Bible. So here are a few, which we have used and find helpful:1. My First Read And Learn Bible - this board book is very basic, and captures some of the important Bible stories on one or two page spreads, using very few words. This option is a helpful way to get your children started, but offers very little serious content. Perhaps it is only useful for babies.2. My First Bible in Pictures - this book features nice illustrations, a simple text and does a good job including most of the major stories of the Bible, with a noticeable emphasis on the death of Jesus (a lot of early picture Bibles only emphasize that "Jesus loves children," etc.). This is a good resource for the toddler through early reader years, using simple text and asking a review question on each page. As a parent, you may find the need to elaborate on the text to present the full story behind each picture. The pictures are helpful for children to look at during preaching at church.3. The Picture Bible - this is an excellent resource for fostering a child's interest in the Bible. It is very thorough, covering many, many Bible accounts. It portrays each account in a comic strip form, but unlike the My First Read and Learn Bible, the graphics have a reverent quality and tone, and are not cartooney at all. Our children have devoured this resource (especially those who are more visually oriented); they've picked up a surprising amount of Bible knowledge from it! It teaches a good grasp of the flow of Scripture, and treats Genesis through Revelation as one unfolding, extended story. Every family with children should have a copy. Many adults could probably learn a lot from this, too.4. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name - this is a very loose translation, so I'd recommend using it along with other children's Bible options. It focuses, not on word-for-word accuracy, but on drawing attention to the beauty of the gospel as it's woven throughout the text. It draws attention to the gospel in every Bible story that it presents. While it's not as thorough as the previous two I've mentioned, it will teach your children that the entire Bible is about Jesus, not Bible stories. We read from this a couple times a week in our home, and this has sparked some terrific discussions. My wife does a good job of telling our children when the text is more poetical than accurate. Ultimately, our children are learning to appreciate this as a storybook that shows the beauty of the plan of God's gospel, rather than as an actual Bible text.Having shared these recommendations, I strongly recommend reading through the Bible with elementary children on a regular basis. No picture books or Bible summaries can replace this important practice. For a manageable daily reading plan, I recommend this OT (click OT) and NT (click NT) plan. It focuses on child-friendly portions of the Bible and is a good starting point for parents looking to read something from the Bible with their children every day.And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).