Choosing a children’s Bible can be overwhelming. In recent years, there has been quite an influx of options to choose from at various age levels. A Bible can be an excellent gift during the holidays or to mark a special milestone like a birthday, baptism, or baby dedication. Perhaps you are looking for a Bible you can read aloud as a family, or one you can give to an elementary child to encourage independent Bible reading. Without being able to hold the books in your hand and page through them, it can be a daunting task to decide which option is best suited to the occasion you have in mind. Our team combed through the options available and selected some of our favorites at every age level. Visit our booklist below to purchase, or scroll down for our favorite Bibles for kids ages 0-12!
How to choose a Bible for kids
When looking for a great kids’ Bible, in addition to thinking about the occasion and the age of the child you’re buying a Bible for, you want to consider the Bible itself. The Bibles a child reads throughout their life will shape how they view, read, and understand scripture. At the Center for Faith and Children, we believe that the Bibles we choose ought to help a child understand who God is as he is revealed in the big story of scripture and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ as they learn to understand the stories of the Christian faith and their historical roots.
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Ages 0-5: Story Bibles
You don’t have to wait to start reading the Bible with your kids! These are our favorite children’s Bibles for babies through toddlers. Reading a Bible aloud to babies and toddlers is an excellent way to promote bonding, develop language skills, encourage a love of reading, and expand a child’s imagination and creativity. We selected several different types of Bibles on purpose.
Rotating through these throughout your child's early years will help your child understand:
- God loves me and His story is for me.
- The Bible is one big story of redemption.
- The stories in the Bible help me know who God is and what God is like.
- The Bible points to Jesus, who loves me with an everlasting love.
God Loves Me Storybooks
This delightful set of toddler-sized Bible storybooks invites kids into the story of Scripture with wondering questions and includes notes and ideas to help adults engage with kids about the story. Our favorite for kiddos 0-3!
The Big Picture Story Bible
Unique among story Bibles, the main emphasis here is on the overarching narrative of scripture, not individual stories. In simple language, this book tells the big story of the Bible in a way that helps children see biblical themes. This is a great intro Bible for kiddos 2+.
The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible
This Bible has fun, preschool-friendly illustrations and includes phrases throughout that reinforce that the Bible is God’s story. It also has a good balance of Old and New Testament stories. Best for 3-5 year olds.
The Jesus Storybook Bible
The tagline for this book is “Every story whispers his name,” and each Bible story points to Jesus and to the larger narrative of scripture. It also has beautiful illustrations and playful storytelling. We love this one for everyone 4 and up.
Ages 6-12: Story Bibles
Kids ages 6-12 are often ready for a little more independence and depth when it comes to a story Bible. Here are our favorite Storybook Bibles for elementary school kids. Kids in grades 1-5 are growing in their ability to understand the interconnectedness of the Bible. They need Bible storybooks that are engaging to them and don’t feel like they were written for little kids. Story Bibles give kids a chance to practice processing story structure and make connections between various parts of the Bible. They also allow kids the opportunity to make connections between the God they meet in Scripture and the God they know now, between the lives of Bible characters and their own lives.
The Big Picture Bible Storybook
Each Bible story is a one-page retelling written by N.T. Wright with lovely illustrations. The format is perfect for reading aloud as a family and for independent reading practice for older elementary kids. Many stories include images that show how different Bible stories “link up” with one another. We love the way this Bible Storybook helps kids (and parents!) learn to read Scripture in light of the whole story of the Bible and to look for connections as they read. A great option for kids ages 6-10.
Kaleidoscope Kids Bibles
These illustrated retellings of individual books of the Bible serve as a great transitional resource between story Bibles and full-text Bibles. We love how these Bibles help kids grasp the overall structure and message of various books of the Bible. Whether you read these Bibles aloud or hand them over to your kids to read independently, we think you’re going to love them! Kids will grow in confidence in their ability to read and study Scripture for themselves, and parents will have a concrete way to take the next step in Bible reading with their kids. You can also check out the Kaleidoscope Kids Podcast and the audio editions of some of the books, which are available as cards for Yoto players. You can read these aloud to any elementary-age kid, but for independent reading, these are probably best for kids ages 8-12.
Ages 6-12: Full-Text Bibles
We selected a couple of full-text Bibles based on readability, organizational features, and the quality of notes & extras. Sending a child off into the world of full-text scripture is an exciting and weighty adventure. Providing them with a full-text Bible at an accessible reading level, such as the NIrV or the CSB, can help them feel confident that the Bible is for them right now! Paying attention to the included extras and prioritizing those that provide helpful context to understanding scripture, like maps, historical references, and ideas for how to engage with scripture, over extras that reduce scripture to a moral guidebook or are only loosely connected to the text will help anchor Bible stories as both real and relevant in a child’s imagination. Either of these two Bibles will get your kiddo’s independent Bible reading off to a great start!
The Seek and Explore Holy Bible (NIrV)
This full-text Bible, written at a third-grade reading level, includes notes on historical context and ideas for engaging with the Bible creatively. The single-column layout is also helpful to kids who are learning to read, and the illustrated maps at the back of the Bible help kids see where stories happened. Each book of the Bible includes a one-page introduction that gives helpful context. The page edges of each book of the Bible are also color-coded by genre, to help kids see how the Bible is arranged. A great choice for kids ages 6-10.
CSB Explorer Bible for Kids
At a seventh-grade reading level, this full-text Bible invites kids into the world of scripture through photos, maps, and helpful notes. The design and features make it an excellent choice for older elementary kids. Because of the need for higher reading ability, we suggest this Bible for 8-12 year-olds.
Enjoying the Bible with Kids
We intentionally kept this list brief because we know that finding a Kids’ Bible can be overwhelming, whether you’re a parent or a ministry leader. While there are certainly other books we could have included, we think these eight great kids’ Bibles will not only serve you and the children you care about well, but they’ll help both kids and adults alike grow in their ability to read and appreciate scripture together. Whether you’re a ministry leader looking for Bibles to use for a kids’ Bible study, Sunday School Bible lessons, or as a milestone gift, or a parent or grandparent trying to find a resource to help you share scripture with kids of any age, remember that one of the best things you can do to instill a love for scripture in the kids you care about is enjoy the Bible with them! We think these suggestions will help you do just that!