MORE Favorite Christian Picture Books

Photo:  Napat Chaichanasiri

Picture books that teach a spiritual lesson or share God's love are a beautiful way to incorporate faith lessons in everyday life.  What child doesn't want "just one more book" read to them at bedtime?  Children who are no longer interested in picture books themselves are usually happy to read them to a younger sibling or friend.  The timeless messages of these books are of benefit regardless of age.  (I found myself being blessed by these stories!)

I've already blogged our favorite Christian-themed picture books.  Since then we've discovered some new favorites that are absolute treasures, and I am excited to share them with you. 


Henry's Song by Kathryn Cave - Henry wakes full of the joy of life, but the other creatures don't like his singing. The Maker asks them to tell Him by the next day what their voices are for.  This is a cute story that illustrates the value God places on each person's talents and the importance of using them for His glory.




The Blessings Jar: A Story About Being Thankful by Colleen Coble - Punky Grace is having a really grumpy morning when Grammy suggests they have an adventure and fill her Blessings Jar to the top.  Punky discovers that God’s blessings are enough to outweigh any bad day.  Recognizing the blessings that God sends us every day makes such a difference.



How Big is God (Harperblessings) - In a heartwarming conversation between mother and son, the nature of God is made understandable to children.  How Big Is God?  Is he invisible?  Is he like a superhero?  Can he fly?  How can he be everywhere all at once?






Small Gifts in God's Hands by Max Lucado - In this re-telling of the miracle of loaves and fishes, a boy is wondering what "big" thing he can do for Jesus.  In the process, he discovers that Jesus can do big things with a small gift.






You Are Special (Tenth Anniversary Limited Edition) (Max Lucado's Wemmicks) by Max Lucado -
 Punchinello believes that he isn't good enough because of what others say about him.  Then he meets the Maker who tells him, "You are special because you are Mine. . . . I made you, and I don't make mistakes."  You Are Special is a beautiful story that reminds us that we are precious to God just the way we are.



Brave Young Knight by Karen Kingsbury - In a competition to determine who will be the price of the land, a boy wins who is not the fastest, strongest, or smartest.  The brave young knight is the winner because he doesn't follow the crowd, instead making decisions based on what is right and true and in accordance with his faith. The moral of the story is that the bravest young boys are those who exhibit the strongest character.  Karen Kingsbury has written a parallel book for girls called The Princess and the Three Knights.


Do you have a favorite Christian picture book?  Please tell us about it in the comments below.  After all, a person can never have too many good books, right?

Photo:  Ambro

Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Photo:  Microsoft Images

 We nearly missed the Bible Bee's end-of-summer celebration.   Honestly, I hesitated to attend because I didn't want my son to feel discouraged.  He had not completed the Bible Bee Sword Study or committed all the verses to memory.  But we went--just hoping that the emphasis would be on what he did know rather than what he didn't know.

The official name for this wonderful event is Local Contest Day, but in my heart it felt like Worship Day.   Indeed, it is a day of worship, prayer, and praise.  It is a day of bringing glory to God.  Yes, someone unobtrusively records points for oral and written test rounds.  But the focus is not on the competition.  Each child is encouraged to proclaim God's word with joy--whether they know only one verse or all of their verses.  The number and the points are not emphasized.  The entire day is about God's Word being lifted up to His ears and bringing Him pleasure.



The oral test round can be a source of anxiety, especially if you aren't sure what to expect.  Let me share our experience of the oral test round.  Our family was led to a private room with a judge and one other Bible Bee volunteer.  They warmly welcomed us and explained the procedures.  Before starting, they prayed a special individualized blessing over my son who was competing.  (Is there anything more heart-warming than someone praying a special blessing over your child?  I was deeply touched.)  Then, it was time to get down to business.  They prompted my son to recite the memory verses that had been provided to us.  The only reaction from the Bible Bee volunteers was praise and encouragement.  They didn't frown or otherwise indicate disapproval when there was a verse he had not memorized.  If he missed any points on the verses he had memorized, we never knew it.  It was a very uplifting experience--very much a celebration of what he had learned.

Local Contest Day was a day of fun, fellowship, and joy.  If you participate in the Bible Bee's summer program, I hope you are able to attend this wonderful event.  It is inspiring to be surrounded by Christian families from different communities, different demographics, different denominations who are all gathered for a common purpose--to bring glory to God and bring up their children to do the same.  God's presence was evident throughout the event.

More Bible Bee posts:
The Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure
Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts

Bible Bee: Transforming Hearts

The best part of the Bible Bee for us was seeing how God used it to influence the hearts of every member of our family.  The person most impacted was my son who was registered as a contestant.

Let me share some of the heart transformation we experienced as a result of participating in the Bible Bee.  On Day 1 after receiving our box of Bible Bee goodies, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure where to start. I introduced the first memory verse to my son and which was received with . . . (what shall I say?) . . . . resistance.

By the end of that first day, he had gained a vision of the program.  The realization that thousands of children all over the country (and beyond) were participating in the same process gave him a zeal that went deeper than my greatest expectations.  Before the day was finished, he was enthusiastically reciting his memory verse over and over without prompting--quite a contrast from the grudging attitude of that morning!  He proudly announced that he had read the entire book of 2 Timothy (the focus of the 2012 summer Sword Study) on his own and that he couldn't wait to do it again tomorrow.  For weeks, he faithfully dug into his Sword Study first thing upon waking.



At my son's suggestion, we started a new practice that has become a permanent fixture in our home.  He requested that an entire wall of his room be made into a scripture wall, displaying all his memory verses.  We did this by printing them out of nice decorative paper, displaying them, and will create a beautiful binder of his memory verses for him to review any time he wants.  Our family has always valued scripture, but through participating in the Bible Bee, I saw my son reach a new level of treasuring God' Word.

Photo:  Microsoft Images

My youngest child is still too young to officially participate in the Bible Bee, but we did start a scripture memory project with him as a direct result of the Bible Bee's influence on our family.  During the Bible Bee last summer, he began asking when he can learn verses also.  Of course, I can't let a request like this go without acting on it. :)  We hung free Bible verse visuals from Bible Story Printables on his wall, had him recite a verse daily, and then saved them in a keepsake binder.  A true love for scripture was instilled in the hearts of both my children. 

Enthusiasm did ebb and flow throughout the summer.  The local events provided by the Bible Bee probably would have helped with this, but unfortunately our family was unable to attend last year.  At the end of the summer, my son told me that he wants to participate in the Bible Bee every year until he's 18.  He said that he will learn a lot about the Bible through doing the Sword Studies, and he reminded me that "time spent learning scripture is not empty.  It has eternal value, even after this life is finished" (Isaiah 55:11).


More posts about the Bible Bee:
Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure 
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

The Bible Bee: A Family Adventure

During the summer of 2012, our family participated in the Bible Bee summer program.  Two things about the organization attracted me:

1. Focus on family discipleship
This is not a children's program where you drop off your kids and pick them up later.  The Bible Bee is a commitment for the entire family--a commitment to study God's word together.  This article in The Christian Post describes how the Bible Bee is a program of family discipleship.  One of the mottos of the Bible Bee is

The Bible Bee encourages family discipleship . . . one verse at a time.

We found this to be very true.  The Bible Bee provides the tools and structure to teach your children in God's truth and ways.  It can bond you in a new and meaningful way and set your family on a rewarding path of spiritual growth.

2. Flexibility  
There are enough pressures on families today already, and mine is certainly no different in that regard.  The Bible Bee is an appealing summer program because our family didn't need to conform to the program.  The Bible Bee offers monthly local events, indepth Sword Study (focused on one book of the Bible), memory scriptures, opportunities for social interaction and support, as well as local and national competition.  We experienced no pressure to do it all.  Instead, we customized the program in the way that would best serve our family.   For example, we slowed down the Sword Study and will completed it in the winter, and we memorized the number of verses that we could comfortably manage.

The best part of our experience with the Bible Bee was 

seeing the heart changes in our children!

Photo:  Microsoft Images

More Bible Bee posts:

Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Teaching Our Children to Pray

Christianity is about living in relationship with God.  Can any relationship be strong if there is not good communication?  Prayer is an integral part of being a Christian.  Some children naturally share their hearts with God.  For others, prayer is not instinctive so we need to be intentional about teaching prayer as a way of life.

In our family, we've used a variety of materials to teach prayer.

Teaching Your Child How to Pray is a wonderfully thorough resource.  It contains practical ideas for helping your child develop a habit of prayer as well as enriching your own prayer life.  There are some really beautiful analogies here that helped me explain the purpose of prayer to my son.  Probably the most unique aspect of this book is the developmental stages of prayer based on the lives of Samuel and Jesus. Explanations for each of these 6 stages includes scriptural context, examples of what is involved in each stage, approximate ages, suggestions for teaching and for transitioning to the next stage, cautions, and key Bible verses.


Faith Begins @ Home Prayer is one of the companion books for Faith @ Home.  This slim book is a very quick read.  Despite its small size, it is a treasure trove of creative (and fun!) approaches to incorporating prayer into family life. Below are some of our favorites, but there are twenty four kid-friendly, innovative prayer ideas presented in the book.

• circle prayer (holding hands and praying around the circle, squeezing the next person's hand to signal when you are finished)
• popcorn prayer (complete-the-sentence prayers with an exciting twist)
• prayer calendar (assigning specific topics that need regular prayer to a particular date each month)
• prayer maps (support for missions and peoples in need)
• characteristics of God ( completing the phrase "God is  . . . " and turning it into praise)
• prayer walks (praying about things or people you see as you walk along).  

Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids) is a fun educational tool that uses inductive study to learn what the Bible says about prayer.  The book has a fun military theme to captivate the attention of children.  My son really enjoyed the puzzles.  The activities throughout the book weren't just busywork.  They were carefully designed to increase understanding.  Because the book contains eight chapters of the Bible in their entirety as an appendix, there is no need to have a separate Bible to use it.  This made it a convenient portable activity book. The target age for this book is 8-12 years old.  We introduced it at a younger age, but the vocabulary presented a bit of a challenge.  (The lessons rely heavily on words such as allegiance, submission, petition, and intercession.)  It can be challenging to find Bible study books that are especially interesting to boys.  This one definitely fits the bill!

This prayer poster is another resource we have used in our family.  It took me a grand total of 5 minutes to create it.  I just taped 5 envelopes to a piece of posterboard.  The top envelope can hold a pen and some index cards.  On the other four envelopes, I wrote the words:  "Praise," "Thanks," "Sorry," and "Please help."  The poster was hung in a high traffic area of the house where we see it often.  If a prayer idea occurs to us, we can write it on an index card and slip it in the appropriate envelope.  This really helps us remember what we want to pray about.

I recently printed, laminated, and attached magnets to the free prayer printables at When You Rise.  (Fantastic blog, by the way!)  I love the idea of praying scripture over my children and am looking forward to giving this a try. 



Other prayer ideas I love:

Prayer Pail by Lu Bird Baby.

Children's Prayer Books by Our Family for His Glory.



I love hearing new ideas!  How do you teach your children to pray?

Photo: Microsoft Images

Favorite Christian Picture Books for Children

Photo:  Microsoft Images

What could be cozier than cuddling on the couch together or snuggling under the covers at bedtime to read a book with your child?  In those sweet moments, your child’s heart is open and receptive.  Some of my fondest memories of childhood are memories of my mother reading to me.  I sincerely hope that someday my boys will reflect on the memories of our time reading together with as much tenderness.

I thought it would be fun to talk about some of our favorite picture books with Christian themes.  Please comment and share your favorites as well.

Any discussion of favorite Christian authors seems incomplete without including Max Lucado.  Many of his children’s stories are so rich that the content is very appropriate for older children as well.  (If your older child thinks that picture books are too babyish for himself, you may want to suggest that he read some of these books to a younger sibling or friend.)  Max Lucado has written so many beautiful children’s stories that it is difficult to distill our collection down to our absolute favorites.  Here are the ones I chose:

The Oak Inside the Acorn (Novel) by Max Lucado
Little Acorn sees other trees as something special.  Despite his fears and inadequacies, Little Acorn does his best and in the end finds the truth in his mother’s words: “Within you is a great oak.  Just be the tree that God made you to be.”



The Way Home: A Princess Story by Max Lucado
Here is one princess story that both my boys enjoyed!  Full of danger and adventure, it tells the tale of a princess who is lured by deceit and her intrigue about the Lowlanders.  Her father comes to rescue her, and she needs to put all her trust in him.  This is an allegorical tale that will have richer meaning for an older child but can still be enjoyed by a young child.


The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
The little lamb in this story feels inferior to the other sheep because he walks with a limp.  He is removed from the pasture and put in a barn, which makes him very sad.  At the conclusion of the story, he realizes that his bad leg allows him to do something that none of the other sheep can—welcome baby Jesus.



Other favorite picture books for our family include:

The Squire and the Scroll: A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart [With CD (Audio)] by Jenie Bishop
A boy is sent on a dangerous quest to help save his kingdom.  As a guide, he is given a scroll of ancient words to help him.  He follows the instructions on the scroll, keeping his heart pure and avoiding many perils.  This allegory is innocent enough to read to a very young child, though an older child will better understand the symbolism and deeper meaning.  The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity [With CD (Audio)] is a parallel story written for young girls. Companion books are available: Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll (Revive Our Hearts) and Life Lessons from the Princess and the Kiss (Revive Our Hearts).   We enjoyed this story when my son was 5, but we are planning to make a fun study out of it again in a few years by using the companion book and these printables from the Guesthollow blog. Printables for The Princess Kiss are available from Homeschoolblogger.


What is God Like? by Beverly Lewis
A father tells his children, "Even when I'm not here, God is always with you."  As they go about their daily routine, the brother and sister remember things know about God.  This book communicates how awesome and powerful God is while also conveying His concern for the small details of our lives.


God Gave Us Love  by Lisa Tawn Bergren
The God Gave Us . . .  series is told from the perspective of Little Cub, a curious polar bear.  A particular favorite is God Gave Us Love in which Little Cub is irritated by some annoying seals.  Grampa Bear explains that we need to share God’s love with others—even those who are annoying.  It’s a very cute approach to a spiritual lesson about a situation that every child faces at one time or another.


If Jesus Came to My House (reillustrated) (HarperBlessings) by Joan Gale Thomas
A boy imagines what it would be like if the boy Jesus came to visit.  He would no longer be afraid of the shadows at night.  He would pick flowers for Jesus and share his toys with him.  Of course, he realizes that the boy Jesus cannot visit him.  But he knows that he can talk with Jesus and that Jesus is with him so there is no need to fear the shadows.  This picture book is a sweet gentle way to teach your children the meaning of the verse “What you did unto the least of these . . . you did unto Me. (Matthew 25:34-40).


Five-Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World as a Family by Pamela Kennedy
This is really a devotional rather than a picture book, but I couldn’t leave it out because has read and re-read it with so much delight.  Children seem to be naturally drawn to animals.  On each page of these books is a paragraph about a particular animal and their unique characteristics.  A second paragraph draws a parallel to a specific character trait we need to develop or to God’s own nature.  There are fun colorful illustrations, a relevant Bible verse.  The questions provided for you to ask your child are well designed to help the child see the real life application of the Biblical lesson without feeling put on the spot.  If you enjoy this book, you'll also want to read More Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As A Family.


His Mighty Warrior: A Treasure Map from Your King by Sheri Rose Shepherd
This is another book that is closer to a devotional than a story book.  It’s a collection of letters from God to a young boy.  The first letter begins “My Son, I have chosen you to do something great for my kingdom.  You are not just a boy—you are the child of the King, and I am your Father in heaven.  I want you to know that I am the same God who chose King David when he was just a little boy, and I have chosen you to show the world who I am. . . .Never forget who you are or who I am, and you will become a strong and mighty warrior for me.”  The illustrations are pirate-themed, and most of the letters center around a particular character trait.  What makes the book so special is the intimacy conveyed in the letters.  Beside each letter is a Bible verse and a short prayer.  Each letter is about a paragraph—very quick bedtime reading to help your child develop a deeper connection with God.  His Little Princess: Treasured Letters from Your King (His Princess)is a parallel book written especially for girls.


What are some of your favorite Christian picture books?

Photo: Bennewitz