God’s Very Special Letters – The Epistles for Kids 

by Matt Dodd and Thom Bransdon (The Open Word)

While eating breakfast, my six-year-old noticed I had written the words of 1 Peter 1:4 on our fridge whiteboard. “Mum, what’s that about?” she asked. “What do those words mean?” 

I paused, raisin toast in hand, trying to think about how to explain words like inheritance, imperishable, uncorrupted, and concepts like “kept in heaven for you”. 

The New Testament letters are a great source of encouragement and exhortation for so many of us. We often turn to them to figure out the ins and outs of day-to-day Christian living and church matters. 

Unlike the narrative stories in the gospels and Old Testament, it’s hard to engage children with the epistles due to their style. That doesn’t mean they’re any less significant or relevant. And yet, such a major part of the Bible is often omitted from children’s Christian literature. 

Plenty of children’s bibles make a large jump from Acts to Revelation, with only a few pages at best devoted to the writings of the apostles. 

When the Rev Matt Dodd, from Lakemba, noticed the lack of material as he was looking for resources for his kids’ ministry, he decided to do something about it. With a genuine desire to open the Scriptures for kids, he produced the new series God’s Very Special Letters. 

Partnering with illustrator Thom Bransdon from St Mark’s, Sadleir, the duo have translated the epistles into language that children would use in the school playground, and have brought them to life with vivid drawings of the early church.

In an effort to be as accurate and as accessible as possible, the translations come directly from the Greek texts. The accompanying illustrations are theologically sound and work alongside the words to communicate the meaning of each verse. With a few verses per page, there is plenty of space for colour and ideas to be expressed visually, helping kids grasp the theological richness of each passage.

Added to this conscious effort to use everyday language familiar to children, the team has taken the opportunity to introduce kids to bigger biblical words. A glossary for families to reference at the end of each book helps explain words and concepts that might be trickier or more complex to understand. 

Born out of a Kickstarter campaign that ran in early 2025, there are now three epistles that have been translated in the series – 1 Peter, Colossians and Philippians. 

One of my first thoughts when hearing about the project was, “Excellent! That’s gifts sorted for the Christian children I know”. I’m always looking out for new Christian books to give to children, and every family I know already owns The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross. 

Aside from making gift-giving easier, I can see the resource being a blessing for family devotion and Bible reading times. 

When reading parts of Philippians with my six-year-old, she was quick to comment on the illustrations, ask further questions, and notice visual links to other Bible stories. What a joy it is to read her the words of God in a format she can understand that helps her actively engage with it.

Parents, don’t sleep on this resource. We pray that our children might delight in the words of the Lord always, and it’s such a joy to have a resource that helps them do this from a very young age.