There’s no denying the many benefits to reading aloud to our children. The Child Mind Institute highlights multiple positive benefits. In an article titled “Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?”, Hannah Sheldon-Dean says this:
“By reading to your child starting at a young age, even before they’re able to communicate verbally, you help lay the neurological groundwork for effective language use and literacy.”
As a Christian mother, reading aloud to my child is a top priority. In a noisy world full of screens and social media, I want to teach my son that there’s a world of knowledge and pleasure in good, old-fashioned reading.
As the guardian of his little heart and gatekeeper for our home, it’s my job to make sure the content I allow him to read is age-appropriate and spiritually appropriate. This is why I’ve complied a list of my favorite books for Christian families with babies or toddlers—both religious and non-religious stories.
My hope and prayer is that reading aloud to our children will help them appreciate all books in general, but especially the Bible. I pray that Bible reading is a regular part of your little one’s future habits, and that through reading the Bible, your beloved discovers the truth of salvation for his or herself.
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The Beginner’s Bible
This is a classic book for little ones! Although the stories are simplified, I’ve found this Bible to be truthful and accurate. Each story is short and includes the Bible books and chapters so parents can quickly reference the full biblical account.
*Note—this Bible has been more recently updated (2016) than my version. As far as I know, the illustrations have been updated but the word content is the same.
The Rhyme Bible
This Bible is still accurate as far as I’ve found, but a little more creatively rewritten. The rhyming style makes these stories memorable and enjoyable for children. And the illustrations are colorful and relaxing for little eyes.
Great and Small Prayers for Babies
My son loves this book, we read it nearly every night. The watercolored illustrations are gorgeous, the pull flaps are exciting to my toddler, and the prayer prompts are simple and sweet. We typically read this book twice (or more) a night, reading the prayers the first time, and naming all the animals the second time.
Our Little Library: A Foundational Language Vocabulary Board Book Set
I cannot rave enough about this little book set from author and illustrator Tabitha Paige. In fact, let me just show you this set’s description:
“Designed by a professional watercolor artist and licensed speech therapist, Our Little Library includes five board books that feature charming images and foundational first words that will help you build your child’s vocabulary. The durable materials and small book size also make them perfect baby books for your baby’s little hands.
Our Little Library includes five board books featuring foundational words from the following categories:
Farm Animals; Forest Animals; Fruits and Veggies; Toys; Transportation
The back of each board book in this first word box set also includes a “seek and find” activity to help parents encourage their little ones to learn to identify the pictures on the page.“
My son will read these with me and “reads” these by himself for literally hours! Sometimes he’ll spend a whole day ignoring his toys and flipping through these books! He’s learned so many words and phonics sounds through these intentionally designed books. Plus, they’re sturdy and beautiful! A win for babies and aesthetic moms!
Pat the Bunny
There’s a reason this book has been a classic for so long! We’ve enjoyed so many special little moments with my son while reading this book. The touch-and-feel features teach babies about their senses. Thanks to this book, my little boy wants to stop and smell every flower we see, and he’s constantly asking to feel daddy’s scratchy face, like the book depicts. This will forever be a Hammitt family favorite!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Revolutionary, I know. But really, there’s a reason this book is so beloved as well. It’s fascinating to see how our son engages with this book in different ways at different ages. First it taught him animal names, then we used the book to learn animal sounds, and now he’s starting to understand colors, all thanks to this little book. Don’t skip on this one, it’s not overrated!
My First Curious George Padded Board Book
This beautiful board book takes several beloved Curious George stories and simplifies it into a short story for babies. Since monkeys are my boy’s favorite animal, I knew we needed this sturdy storybook. Curious George is so sweet and silly, and I’m sure we’ll be enjoying this one for years to come!
What book would you recommend to Christian families?
Let me know in the comments what books your little one loves to read and I’ll keep this list updated. In the meantime, make sure to check out other resources for Christian wives and mothers by visiting nataliehammitt.com/resources.
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