I’m so thankful that my daughter is taught at pre-school by wonderfully experienced Christian teachers… so when a list of recommended Bible resources from one of those gifted and thoughtful teachers finds its way into your child’s book bag, it is something to be treasured!
I come back to this list every time I want to add to our library. Clearly, it’s far from exhaustive (there are so many good things out there) and seasoned pre-school teachers and parents will no doubt be familiar with a lot of these books, but I thought I’d share this treasured list here anyway, with a few of my own favourites added in along the way.
Beginning with God by Jo Boddam Whetham & Alison Mitchell (The Good Book Company)
Exceedingly simple and clear Bible devotionals for 2–4-year-olds. These can be done in as little as two minutes. There’s a sticker for each day’s story, and other cute little stickers that tell us things like “God speaks to me in the Bible” and “God hears me when I pray”. This resource pairs perfectly with The Beginner’s Bible but any Bible for young children will work too.
Devotional Dippers by Andrew Sweasy (10Publishing)
A fun way to do family devotionals—pick a stick each day! Each stick has a theme, a Bible reference, a question and a prayer point. Ideal for primary aged children but can be easily adapted to suit younger children.
Everything a Child Should Know about God by Kenneth Taylor (10Publishing)
This is just perfect for pre-schoolers: profound doctrinal truths are distilled in such short, accessible instalments and my daughter has loved these illustrations since she was tiny. The other books in this series are also great: Bible Stories Every Child Should Know, What Every Child Should Know About Prayer, and Everyone A Child Should Know.
Stories for Little Ones by Stephanie Carmichael (Matthias Media)
The storylines of these books just seem to tap right into a pre-schooler’s world, while also demonstrating to parents how easily God-talk can be woven into everyday conversation with our children. Grumpy Day is particularly brilliant for learning to understand disappointments in light of the loving sovereignty of God. My daughter asks for The Rag Doll to be read on repeat.
Open Doors UK and Ireland website: opendoorsuk.org/resources/families/
If you want to widen your family’s prayer focus, Open Doors UK has some excellent child-friendly resources for praying for Christians worldwide. In the UK you can order the World Watch List 2023 Children’s Pack for free, and this includes a colour wall map of the 50 most dangerous countries to be a Christian, and a prayer passport with information and activities.
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing by Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago (Zonderkidz)
My pre-schooler’s teacher considers this one of the most uplifting books she can think of! Beautifully illustrated and perfect for family devotions, bedtime, story time or even as a companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible.
Indescribable: 100 Devotions about Science and God by Louis Giglio (Thomas Nelson)
Great for children who love science! Each devotion features a ‘Be Amazed’ section with fascinating facts, hands-on activities, and a closing prayer. Written for slightly older children but easily adapted for younger ones. Perhaps something to dip in and out of alongside a Bible-based devotional book.
Play through the Bible by Alice Buckley (The Good Book Company)
This takes you through Luke’s Gospel in 20 stories, with play ideas to help young children understand key concepts. The Good Book Company have also published Bake through the Bible which is brilliant too. Play Through the Bible is especially good for pre-school age.
Little Me, Big God series by Steph Williams (The Good Book Company)
It’s hard for little ones not to be captivated by these books. They are so punchy and engaging for pre-schoolers. The Good Book Company markets these as ‘Bible stories for toddlers’ and it’s true they are especially good for younger pre-schoolers. They are also a brilliant launchpad for playgroup curriculums and with every book purchased you can download an activity pack and PowerPoint slides for free.
God Counts by Irene Sun (New Growth Press)
Lovely for budding mathematicians. It uses numbers and patterns to introduce big ideas for little minds, including the Trinity, the God of order, the holiness of God, the problem of sin, and the rescue and love of Jesus.