Living books do an excellent job bringing topics to life for kids, and Easter is no different. Reading beautifully worded and illustrated picture books is a great way to begin discussion with your kids and also connect with them. Kids of all ages can enjoy listening to these beautifully told stories about the true meaning of Easter. There are many beautiful and loved Easter and spring themed books out there, but here we focused on those that tell the story of the real meaning of Easter.
Some of Our Favourites
The Legend of the Easter Robin by Dandi Daley Mackall is a sweet fictional story about a young girl and her Gran who find some robin’s eggs. The little girl is so worried about them, and Gran encourages her to trust the God that created them. Gran teaches the girl a craft and the legend of the Easter robin which shares a little bit of the Easter story and Christ on the cross (though not a detailed telling). A beautiful book and a good way to start conversation.
Humphrey’s First Palm Sunday by Carol Heyer is a short little board book about a silly donkey who sees Jesus riding into Jerusalem, recognizes who He is, and commits to following Him. A short book perfect for young kids.
The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs is about a young girl who receives an anonymous gift of a crate of soil and feels disappointed. She throws it away and doesn’t take care of it. Eventually, it grows into a lily, and she sees that beauty can come from something seemingly unimportant. The girl realizes she threw away her father’s gift and didn’t thank him. Verses are interspersed throughout the book.
The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross by Carl Laferton is a phenomenal book that sums up the Gospel story in a succinct and easy to understand way for children. It begins at creation and the fall, allowing kids to see WHY Easter had to happen and how it changed things. There are minimal words per page and exquisite illustrations. This one belongs in every family library.
The Tale of the Three Trees retold by Angela Elwell Hunt is a tale of three trees who all have grand dreams of what they will do in their life. It seems that none are getting what they wished until they each end up being used as a part of Jesus’ story, and they realize that they are doing exactly as they wanted: one the manger, one the fishing boat where Jesus calmed the sea, and one the cross on which He died. A beautifully illustrated and told story.
The Donkey That No One Could Ride by Anthony DeStefano is a cute little story of a donkey that could do nothing who ended up having the most important job in the world. Tells of Christ’s triumphant entry but not the full Easter story. Can be a jumping off point for discussion. Also great for helping children understand their worth is found in Christ.
The Legend of the Easter Egg by Lori Walburg is a story where the child characters learn the deeper meaning behind Easter and the Easter eggs. The main character’s sister falls ill, and he goes to stay with another couple who shares the true meaning of Easter with him. She uses the Easter eggs as a visual to explain the true Easter story with him and remind us that Jesus conquered death, and therefore, we can have eternal life.
Although it is not a picture book, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls - The Final Scroll by M.J. Thomas is still worth mentioning. This whole series makes an exceptional read aloud for families, and this final book focuses on the Easter story. This series is based around two siblings who go back in time to Bible times and are immersed in certain events with each book covering one event. The siblings need to solve a mystery on the scroll to get out. This makes these historical Biblical events really come alive for readers. This final book takes place with the siblings travelling to Jerusalem as the people plot to kill Jesus. They experience the Last Supper up to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
There are many other beautiful books celebrating the true meaning of Easter out there, and we would love it if you’d hop over to our Facebook page and share your favourites under this article's post!
Treehouse Schoolhouse puts out a lovely Easter unit you can do with your young kids which involves a picture book a day, crafts, Bible reading, copywork, poem study and other things. It is worth checking out if you enjoy learning through books and related crafts.
This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).