What are the best Bibles for children? What suggestions for parents wanting to make Bible story bedtime a habit in their family? What are your top bedtime story Bibles for kids?
Top 10 Picks for Best Children’s Bible
This article is a guide to the best children’s Bibles. It discusses different Bible versions and features that are good for kids. There are many popular options, including The Jesus Storybook Bible and the NIV Adventure Bible for Kids.
#1 The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Best “Gospel-Centered” kids Bible for elementary and middle school readers.
This runaway bestseller shows how every part of God’s Word points forward to Jesus. “If you are a parent, grandparent, pastor, or teacher looking for a way to teach the children in your life about God’s “Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love,” look no further than The Jesus Storybook Bible.”
Our Take: This will challenge early readers, but would be perfect for bedtime reading with a parent. Price: You can find the hardcover on Amazon.com under $15. Don’t miss their beautiful gift edition.
#1 in Children’s Devotional Christianity Books
#1 in Children’s Christian Prayer Books (Books)
#2 in Christian Bibles (Books)
#2 NIV Adventure Bible for Kids from Zondervan Publishing.
Best for a child’s first “grown-up” Bible. Kids can read God’s Word.
Our choice for kids’ first “real Bible.” Do you want to take your kids on an adventure through the Bible? The bestselling NIV Adventure Bible will get them excited about God’s Word! Kids will be captivated by the full-color features that make reading Scripture and memorizing their favorite verses engaging and fun.
Our Take: The Adventure Bible has been trusted for many years, new updates make it even better for kids. The editor of this project is Lawrence Richards, one of my heroes in Christian Education. Price: The hardcover is $24 on Amazon.
#2 in Children & Teens Christian Education
#5 in Christian Home Schooling
#6 in Homeschooling (Books)
#3 The Action Bible: Illustrated Bible for Kids
Our pick for the best story Bible for boys and visual learning style children will love. The next best thing to the Bible app for kids.
This is our top pick for boys (and girls who like comic books). “It features a captivating, up-to-date artwork style—making it the perfect Bible for today’s visually focused culture. The Action Bible presents 215 fast-paced narratives chronologically, making it easier to follow the Bible’s historical flow—and reinforcing the build-up to its thrilling climax.”
Our Take: My boys wore out two copies over the years and became fans of the greatest hero story ever told. Even early readers love to follow along with the picture. Price: Buy the hardcover on Amazon for under $15
#16 in Children’s Bible Stories
#4 The Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids by Phil Vischer.
Our pick for best new kids’ story Bible. 52-Bible reading for children.
This is the story Bible written by Phil Vischer (Christian media pioneer and the creator of Veggie Tales). This family Bible is more than a children’s Bible storybook . . . it’s a deep, engaging, laugh-out-loud gospel experience. The Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids will guide readers from Genesis to Revelation, retelling beloved Bible stories AND tackling tricky questions like “What is sin?” and “What is the Trinity?”
Our Take: This one will become a classic and introduce a whole new generation to the joy of God’s Word. It’s on my Christmas shopping list. It’s like a complete Sunday School Curriculum in one story Bible.
Price: Available to buy on Amazon for $18
#336 in Children’s Bible Stories
#2,490 in Christian Bibles (Books)
#5 Kids’ Visual Bible (NIV) New International Version
Our pick for impressive visuals in a full-length kids Bible using the NIV translation.
Another great offering from Zondervan. This study Bible for kids includes a spectacular full-color interior featuring over 700 illustrations, including photos, infographics, and maps, that visually present critical Bible information. The NIV Kids’ Visual Study Bible, for ages 8 to 12, brings the Bible to life in four-color illustrated splendor. In addition to the over 700 full-color visuals, this Bible features essential facts and study notes near the relevant verse that make this Bible one kids will want to explore!
Our Take: This is an excellent Bible for any age believer in our visual age. This will encourage kids to explore the scriptures. Price: Get it for $28 on Amazon.
#31 in Children’s Middle Eastern History
#219 in Christian Home Schooling
#279 in Children & Teens Christian Education
#6 The Beginners Bible: Story Bible for Kids
Our pick for best preschool Bible stories and early readers in kindergarten-age learners.
This is the classic preschool story Bible. Kids will enjoy reading the story of Noah’s Ark as they see Noah helping the elephant onto the big boat. They will learn about the prophet Jonah as they see him praying inside the fish. And they will follow along with the text of Jesus’ ministry as they see a man in need of healing lowered down through the roof of a house. Parents, teachers, pastors, and children will rediscover these beloved parables and so much more as they read more than 90 stories in The Beginner’s Bible, just like millions of children before. The Beginner’s Bible® brand has been trusted for nearly 30 years, with more than 25 million products sold.
Our Take: It’s a classic for a reason, ideal for toddlers and preschool children enjoying the big stories for the first time. Price: You can find it on Amazon for just over $16, but I’ve seen it on sale at Walmart, too.
#1 in Children’s Jesus Books (Books)
#1 in Homeschooling (Books)
#1 in Christian Home Schooling
#7 The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible for Kids
Our pick for beautiful visual adaptations of the scriptures for kids.
This beautiful volume will help children imagine the scriptures like never before. Lead your child into a lifetime love of the Bible with this colorful storybook. With nearly 300 beautiful two-page illustrations to capture even the youngest child’s imagination and heart, this vast collection of the Bible’s most-loved stories is just right for sharing together or reading alone throughout the day. The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible is the perfect picture and storybook for young ones and an ideal first reader your children will treasure.
Out Take: This is a great addition to every home library and ideal any age child. Price: You can find it on Amazon for $18
#4 in Children’s Bible Stories
#6 in Children’s Jesus Books (Books)
#8 Bible Infographics for Kids, Illustrated Children’s Bible Stories
Our pick for “wish I had this Bible when I was a kid”
This isn’t a traditional story Bible, but it’s too cool not to mention. The Bible is far from boring, but sometimes it can feel that way to kids. Spark their excitement for God’s Word with this craze-mazing collection of infographic spreads designed to make the Bible come alive for kids and adults alike. These colorful creations visually depict the key concepts, important people, and most unusual facts from the Bible in a new and exciting way.
Our Take: Older kids and even youth will enjoy these facts & figure presentations from the scriptures. Interactive adventures for young readers that kids will remember. Price: You can find it on Amazon for $13
#6 in Children’s Bible Study
#7 in Children’s Bible Reference & Interpretation
#9 The Bible Made Easy for Kids
Our pick for “easy is better than hard” for children learning the Scriptures.
Forget boring! Dave Strehler’s The Bible Made Easy – for Kids takes readers both young and old on a fun-filled, informative journey to understand the Bible and apply it to their lives.
Our Take: Conversational in tone, the writing is clear and simple. Contents are jam-packed with line drawings, charts, and questions that start discussions. Price: You can find it on Amazon for $8.39
#1 in Children’s Bible Reference & Interpretation
#1 in Children’s Bible Study
#10 The Bible App for Kids
Our pick for the digital Bible app helping connected kids learn God’s Word.
The Bible App for Kids is the perfect way to bring the Bible to life for your little ones. With beautiful illustrations and engaging storytelling, kids will love exploring the Bible with this app. Plus, with the connect feature, they can share their favorite stories with friends and family. If you are a YouVersion family this will be perfect. You can also switch languages
Our Take: It’s a free non-profit app that’s kid safe and helps children to learn God’s Word and begin a lifelong love of reading. Beautiful illustrations come to life on the iPad. Consider it a digital Bible storybook, but don’t forget to make full Bible reading a part of your children’s religious education.
My 6 year old grandson reads voraciously and and everything he can find so I thought getting him a children’s bible would be great for his new bedside bookshelf. Can anyone recommend which of these listed might be the best for a young many reading before bed?
~Thanks!
Hello!
The NIrV or the NIV Adventure Bible for studying during the day (letter size between 8.5 and 9pts). Also the NIrV or the NIV Discoverer’s Bible, because the text is larger (12pts). Which is important when reading with artificial light. The NIrV language is a bit more simple –2nd grade aprox. The NIV is somewhere in between 4th and 7th grade.
#7 The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible
I got this for my 5 year old based on the beautifully illustrations. However I’ve found the stories they’ve included are very punishment heavy with Gods wrath poured out topics. The constant emphasis on people doing the wrong thing so God/others killed them is concerning.
Yes these topics are all throughout the Bible but to have children, page after page being exposed to death and punishment from God without proper context it introduces the thought of obeying God out of fear of his punishment, rather than obeying him because of his never ending and joyous love.
This is the 3rd Bible I’ve brought my son and I’ve noticed a growing fear and misconception of God the Father as a scary entity that will punish you if you do wrong or if you don’t obey his laws you are in danger. Having to add context to these stories that even confuse long standing adult Christians complicates young children’s understanding and opens up greater possibility for incorrect doctrine as parents may struggle to translate to such a young mind.
It’s important to emphasis the last part of my comment. I should have said since getting my son this Bible ( being his 3rd version) his fear of God as a punisher has grown and not in a healthy, correct way. His previous Bibles, one which was #6 The Beginners Bible gave him a great understanding of God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirits love for us all.
This is a while later, but I have a 6 year old daughter who is also a keen reader and she devours every children’s Bible we have gotten.
The Jesus Storybook Bible and the Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible have been our preferred ones from the list. We have also gotten her a Seek and Find ESV Bible and she has read through the Gospels already. We also just got Bible Stories Every Child Should Know and love it. Simply written (as is all of that series) but beautifully written and illustrated.
The Beginners’s Bible is very reader friendly for that age group. Syntax and vocabulary are appropriate for a child that age.