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Children's Books about Worship

Board books Picture books Picture books based on the Psalms

Do you know of a good children's book on worship? Please recommend it.

Board books:

Colors I See in Church
Things I See in Church
Things I Hear in Church
Things I Do in Church
Things I See at Baptism

Julie Stiegemeyer, author
Kathy Mitter, illustrator
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2002.

Bus, Sabrina. Our Father. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2006.

The Lord's Prayer with a brief sentence of application for each phrase of the prayer.

 

Picture books:

Baynes, Pauline, illustrator. I Believe: The Nicene Creed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2003.

Baynes transforms the creed "into a joyous hymn to God." She did the orginal line illustrations for C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

 

Boling, Ruth L., Lauren J. Muzzy, and Laurie A. Vance. A Children's Guide to Worship. Louisville: Geneva Press, 1997.
• targeted to children ages three through third grade. Might be placed in the worship space for children to use as a supplement to the children's bulletin.

Boling, Ruth. Come Worship With Me: A Journey through the Church Year. Louisville: Geneva Press, 2001.
• Colorful pictures opposite one-page descriptions of the Christian seasons. The end of the book has several pages of Christian symbols and crosses children might recognize from church.

Boling, Ruth L. Mouse Tales: Things Hoped For, Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005.
• A chapter book about a "mouse congregation's" experience with these three seasons of the Christian year.

Goble, Paul. Song of Creation. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2004.

• Intricate, bright pictures illustrate the adapted text from The Book of Common Prayer. Children are encouraged to add verses of their own to the refrain: bless you the Lord: praise him, and magnify him forever.

Grimes, Nikki. Come Sunday. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1996.
Illustrated by Michael Byrant.
• Grimes is an award-winning poet and author. This book celebrates a day of worship through the eyes of a child with bright, watercolor illustrations by Byrant.

"Come Sunday, Mommy wakes me up with whispers. LaTasha, honey, she says to me. Time to shed dawn's cozy quilt. Come on, Sweet Pea. Open up those eyes."

Grimes, Nikki. When Daddy Prays. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2002.
Illustrated by Tim Ladwig.

• Poems and pictures about prayer and a child's daddy.

 

Ladwig, Tim. The Lord's Prayer. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2000.

• Bright, beautiful illustrations, "Top Ten" religious children's book for 2001

 

Nelson, Kadir. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005.

• warm images of a boy and his family woven with the words to the well-known spiritual.

 

Ramshaw, Gail. 1, 2, 3, Church. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1996. Ramshaw, Gail. Every Day and Sunday, Too. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1996. • Words and images of this book narrate the basic structure of Christian worship. Ramshaw, Gail. Sunday Morning. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1993. • This book centers around "the wonderful words that Christians speak in church: ancient words like 'alleluia' and 'amen,' simple prayers like 'Lord, have mercy.' "

Walker, Joni. Holy Baptism & The Lord's Supper. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005.
• Both books follow a question and answer pattern around basic questions children may ask about the sacraments.

Wangerin, Jr., Walter. Water, Come Down! The Day You Were Baptized. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1999.
Illustrated by Gerardo Suzan

• imaginative interpretation of creation's celebration of a child's baptism. Wonderful baptismal imagery used throughout the book: rainbow, washing, dying and rising, River of Life, Trinity, Child of God.

White Carlstrom, Nancy. Glory. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2001.
Illustrated by Debra Reid Jenkins.

• Playful illustrations sing and celebrate the way every creature praises God.
"Glory be to God for fluttering wings, for chickadees and butterflies...and all small things that wing their praise."

Yeomans, Ellen. Jubilee. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2004.
Illustrated by Tim Ladwig.

• One vision of heaven as a joyful picnic and reunion

 

Picture books based on the Psalms:

Delval, Marie-Helene. Psalms for Young Children. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008.

• Simple sentence paraphrases of over 40 psalms paired up with bright, colorful illustrations.

 

Farjeon, Eleanor. Morning Has Broken. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1996.

• This hymn text was orginally written for children and inspired by Psalm 118: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Illustrated by Tim Ladwig.

Ladwig, Tim. Psalm Twenty-Three. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1993.

• The familar words of Psalm 23 come to life against the rich backdrop of daily life in the city.

Reese, Amy Ribordy. Illustrated Psalms of Praise/Ilustrados Salmos de Alabanza. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2005.

• This side-by-side, English/Spanish translation of Psalms 104, 148, 150 uses The Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version and the Biblia Americana San Jeronimo. Vibrant, full-page illustrations accompany the texts.

Retold by Christopher Webber Illustrated by Preston McDaniels

Webber, Christopher L. The Lord is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for Children. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, 2004.

Webber, Christopher L. Praise the Lord, My Soul: Psalm 104 for Children. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, 2002.

Webber, Christopher L. Shout for Joy and Sing! Psalm 65 for Children. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishing, 2003.

White Carlstrom, Nancy. What Does the Sky Say? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2001.

• A prose poem inspired by Psalm 19