There are so many fantastic children's resources available that can help young people and their families explore the themes of the Bible and become familiar with the characters, the events, and the joy of Jesus in the gospel.

While we know that a retelling of Bible stories in a children’s Bible should never replace the richness of the true voice of God found in Scripture, we recognise that these are wonderful and useful tools that can aid us in communicating these truths to children. So we asked four children’s ministers from across our Diocese what kids’ bibles they reach for regularly and could recommend to us. 

Leah, children's minister, Northmead 

For babies, I would literally use any cheap, illustrated Bible. The one we use currently is what was gifted to us. I recommend leaving it around the house, giving it to them at the table to play with, or in their cot etc. The goal is a hands-on experience [with a Bible] especially as they watch the rest of their family reading theirs. 

And for toddlers, the good old The Beginners’ Bible. Super-short stories, and lots of them. We’ve even been adding the stories to our Chameleon pen [a device that allows you to turn books into audio books] so that the kids can listen to it themselves.

Amy Bradley, children’s minister, Liverpool

I particularly like The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible. It has 52 stories. You could read one each week and set up play experiences or craft activities each week with your children in kids’ church or even at home. They have questions at the end of each story that help engage kids in what we’ve read, and it also has the Bible passages so that older kids can do a deeper dive into it. I’m also a sucker for beautiful simple illustrations.

Elise Paton, kids and youth minister, Glenhaven

My recommendation is The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I think it does a wonderful job of showing how the whole Bible ties together and points to Jesus. These aren’t just one-off stories that have no connection to one another, but we see God weaving together the entirety of Scripture through Sally’s writing. I use it in my ministry spaces but I would also 100 per cent recommend it for families at home or as a baptism gift. 

Jess Moran, children’s minister, Miranda

The NIV Adventure Bible is a fantastic way to step up into a “big Bible” experience, where kids can read the whole Bible for themselves while it takes you on an exciting adventure through God’s word. It is filled with captivating fun facts, verses to memorise and hands-on activities to help kids engage in an age-appropriate way.