Best Picture Books Of The Easter Story

I went on a quest to find the best picture books for kids that convey the true meaning of Easter for kids, and I want to share my findings with all of you! Even though these are reviews of these Easter picture books, no one payed me to write this and I purchased all the books with my own money, so this is not a skewed review- just me making some book suggestions to my friends. 🙂

I have quite a collection of children’s books because I thrift shop all the time, and I buy them when I see them. I also scoured the internet and ordered several Easter picture books. I plan to use several of them as Easter basket stuffers.

When I started reading the Easter story picture books I had collected, I was very disappointed at how watered down some of them were. In fact, some of them seemed so off base that I made plans to get rid of them. However, I was quite pleased with others, and rather than trashing the bad ones, I want to recommend the good ones. So here you go- the Easter version of “Lacy’s Picks.” 😉

The Easter Day Surprise

I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is written in a very cute rhyming format. It follows the Biblical account of Easter morning pretty accurately. Seriously, I know I already said it, but I love the illustrations in this book! This is a quick read, which makes it great for all ages.

The Easter Story

There are a lot of children’s books called “The Easter Story” and I will say that I did not like them all, but I love this one! You’re looking for the one from Concordia Publishing House. It claims right on the cover that it’s “Drawn directly from the Bible” and it definitely is! It starts with Palm Sunday, covers the Last Supper, the Passion, the Resurrection, the road to Emmaus, Doubting Thomas, and the Ascension. I love the realistic illustrations in this one! It also has some fun “extras” down the sides of the pages such as activities, prayers, vocabulary, questions, etc. I’d recommend this for a slightly older crowd- perhaps age 8 and up.

Family Easter Treasury

This book’s title is a pretty good description of what it is. The illustrations are charming and classic, and it’s a great mix of Easter stories, rhymes, poems, songs, and more! Plus, the Easter story (from the King James Version of the Bible) is told 4 times- once from each Gospel. These are mixed in throughout the book. It looks like this book is currently out of print (I got ours at a used book store after falling in love with the Family Christmas Treasury) but you can get a used copy here. This is another one that is good for all ages because there is such an assortment.

The Action Bible Easter Story

I first stumbled upon The Action Bible when searching for something for my little brother (age 11) as an Easter present, and let me tell you-  he absolutely loves it! It’s written in comic book format, and the guy who draws the pictures actually used to work for some big comic book companies. My brother did not put this book down until he had read the whole thing, and usually, getting him to read is like pulling teeth, so that’s saying a lot. You can get just the Easter story section of this for free on your Kindle here. I think the graphic novel style of this book makes it best suited for independent readers. *Disclaimer*- When Jesus is praying and talking to God, he refers to him as “Dad”. I don’t like this, but I do like the book overall.

Easter- Jan Pienkowski

Jan Pienkowski does gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous illustrations that are intricate silhouettes over colored backgrounds. These books are classics! The only thing is, the text is taken directly from the King James Version of the Bible, so you can decide if that sounds like something you’d like to own or not. Given the translation, I recommend this for children ages 8 and up. Preschoolers probably won’t sit through reading this, but I guarantee they will still be enchanted with the pictures. Who wouldn’t be?! I ordered this after buying his Christmas Book at a thrift store, and falling in love with it. Looks like it’s currently out of print, but used copies can be obtained for a reasonable price.

Children’s Bibles

Last but not least, when you’re looking for religious Easter books for your kids, don’t forget to read them the Easter story from your children’s Bibles you have at home! We have (and love) The Beginner’s Bible. It’s great for early readers. Lydia has read it cover to cover. We have several more children’s Bibles I’m planning to pull out during the Easter season as well.

Be sure to check out all of my Christ-centered Easter crafts, recipes, and more here! 🙂 Remember- make Easter about the lamb, not the bunny!