Let’s get right to it! Five books that are theologically faithful and are in my homeschool library (in no order of preference)…
The Prince’s Poison Cup, by R.C. Sproul
Purchase here: The Prince’s Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul
First of all, this is an absolutely stunning, high quality book. Also, the story is theologically rich yet very palpable and enjoyable for children both younger and older than age range 5-7. It does an impressive job on painting a mental picture of The Gospel within this fictional story about a prince who obeys his father to drink a cup of poison in order to redeem their people’s actions. It even has a discussion guide after the story.
Other great children’s books by R.C. Sproul that are on my wish list: The Priest With The Dirty Clothes, The Lightlings, The Knight’s Map, The Donkey Who Carried A King.
Helpful Tip: Sign-up for the Ligonier Ministries newsletter and you’ll get reminders of their $5 Friday sale that occurs every week. On that occassion, select books will be deeply discounted and some will even cost only five bucks to purchase! I bought children’s books, like “The Prince’s Poison Cup” for more than half of the original price — it just takes some patience for the right deal for the right book to strike, but it is well worth it.
Easter Egg-Shaped Board Books, by Zondervan Kids
Purchase here: Easter Egg-Shaped Board Book, 3-Pack
Adorable, sturdy, and surprisingly theologically faithful, these board books are perfect little gifts for your toddler. They are about the size of my hand (I’m a petite woman), so they are just the right size for a small child. A sample of the “Happy Easter” book:
“Happy Easter, happy Easter! Little bunnies hop and play. Happy Easter, happy Easter! Celebrate Jesus today. Happy Easter, happy Easter! Chicks snuggle with mother hen. Happy Easter, happy Easter! In three days Jesus rose again.”
I love that it uses the typical Easter motifs to point to Jesus, making Him the ‘big deal’ about Easter. As other kids see Easter as just another holiday when they get presents and lots of candy, the children of Christian parents will be celebrating the most special person of all time forever and ever… Jesus, who was given to us by Father God! The sweets and gifts are a very nice, but very small bonus.
Bible History ABC’s – God’s Story from A to Z, by Stephen J. Nichols and Ned Bustard
Purchase here: Bible History ABC’s – God’s Story from A to Z
“A is for aardvarks, armadillos, an apple, and Adam… B is for bears, balloons, bulldozers, and the Tower of Babel… C is for calves, camels, candles, and covenant… when God makes a covenant, we know for certain it will come to pass.”
The authors’ aim is for kids to see the whole Bible as one story — God’s story of keeping his promises throughout history. Stephen J. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. Ned Bustard illustrates the book with a unique style that is sort of like Renaissance art for kids. Together, they created a book that is thorough yet concise in explaining God’s mighty hand throughout all of the Bible’s history. They weave in the attributes of God into the book as well, which is something that I deeply appreciate of anything that is created for biblical teaching. This is a book that I will read to my children and use as homeschool guide to introduce them to chronological Bible reading.
Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey, by Tyler Van Halteren
Purchase here: Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey
You’ve most likely read John Bunyan’s timeless fiction “The Pilgrim’s Progress” about a man named Christian’s escape from an oppressive village and embarks on a perilous journey to a paradise called The Celestial City. Well, this is the modernized version for kids! It is a thick, gorgeous book that looks like an English classical hardcover with its textured cloth wrapping and gold foil accents, yet it has the most adorable illustrations that are very beautiful to look at while reading the tale. Due to the high quality of this book, it is pricier at about $24 but this is collectible quality that is a treasure for your little one’s bookcase. Part two can be found here: Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey Part II: Christiana & The Celestial City
The Big Book of Questions and Answers, by Sinclair Ferguson
Purchase here: The Big Book of Questions and Answers
Family devotional time is a precious habit to practice, whether it is weekly, monthly, or just whenever you remember to get together for it (I know the stuffed shirts would insist on weekly, but we want to avoid being dogmatic and give grace when life gets more hectic or difficult from one season to another, like when the family is grieving over a close extended family member, for example). This book written by one of Eric’s and my favorite authors is packed full with spiritually enriching activities to do together with your children. Each Q&A has a corresponding memory verse, family prayer prompt, context readings, fun activitiy to drive home the lesson, and more. I think this is the newest version of three such books. I hope that Pastor Ferguson continues to make these types of books bigger and better!
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