Easter doesn't get as much attention as Christmas, or even Thanksgiving, but for those of us who are believers, this is really the most special of holidays - the day we celebrate when Jesus died in our place, took our sins away, and rose from the dead! Easter is the culmination of God's plan of salvation for His people, and there are less distractions surrounding Easter than with other holidays - the focus, at least for our family, is all on Christ. I love that about Easter, and I want to try to build more traditions for our family surrounding Resurrection Day.
We already do resurrection eggs, resurrection rolls, and read the Easter account from the Bible, but I decided I wanted to find some good books that I can eventually add to our collection and read with the kids every year. I requested a bunch from the library, and even bought a few, and we've been working through reading them all over the last couple weeks. The ones below are my favorites, books I'd like to eventually add to our own book collection if we don't already own them!
Arch Books by Various (The Resurrection, The Day That Jesus Died, The Week That Led To Easter, He's Risen, He's Alive!, etc.) - Arch books are thin little paperbacks that cover a ton of different stories from the Bible, and these are a few of the Easter-related Arch Books we own. Each book is told in verse, and usually they focus on one aspect of a Bible story, such as Good Friday, Palm Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday. I like these for a quick reminder for the kids right before bedtime of the significance of different days during Easter week.
The Garden, The Curtain, And The Cross by Carl Laferton - This book tells the story of the fall, and the plan of salvation, incorporating an explanation the curtain in the temple and how our sin separates us from God. It's a beautiful portrayal of how Jesus's death on the cross for our sins allows us to come to God directly, with no mediator except Christ Himself. This was a good springboard for discussing the Old Testament sacrificial system and how Jesus was the perfect and final sacrifice for our sin! It's told in a whimsical way, similar to the Jesus Storybook Bible (but deeper, I thought).
The Tale Of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt - This is a fable about three trees who wanted to be a treasure chest, a mighty ship to carry kings, and the tallest tree in the world to point to God - and how those things were fulfilled in unexpected ways after the trees were cut down. This one makes me cry every time I read it.
That Grand Easter Day by Jill Roman Lord - This book tells the story of Easter morning in a whimsical poem with lines that build on each other - not the most theological book in the stack, but it's a cute, fun one!
The Donkey Who Carried A King by R. C. Sproul - Reilly's grandfather tells him the story of a donkey who wanted to be important by carrying a king, and then got a little too puffed up after he carried Jesus - until he realized that Jesus himself had to carry the burden of everyone's sin to the cross. I love all the discussion questions in the back of this one!
'Twas The Morning Of Easter by Glenys Nellist - This is another one that I would not put in a theological category, but it's a fun version of the events of Easter morning, from the perspective of Mary, and to the same rhythm as the poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas". I enjoyed it!
Jesus Is Alive: The Amazing Story by Carine Mackenzie - As far as telling the account of Easter and why it matters for our salvation, I think this little book is my favorite on this list. It's a very thorough book, telling all the events of the week leading to Easter, and including the gospel at the end! I'm sure we will be reading this one every year, and I would like to collect more from this "Bible Wise" series.
Easter Is Coming by Tama Fortner - This book strikes the perfect balance between telling about Easter in a creative way for kids, while also including truths about sin and why Jesus died so we can be saved! Great for early elementary and younger, with bright illustrations.
We read several other Easter books, but these are my favorites - some books didn't make the list if I felt like they left out important points of the gospel, or if they just didn't stand out to me. I may add to this post in the future as I find other good, Christ-focused books!
I hope you all have a wonderful Good Friday, friends. It's a serious day, remembering how Jesus suffered and died in our place, because of our sin. But as the last book title says - Easter is coming! Hallelujah!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Those books look like good ones. It is great you're taking the time to find such good, Spiritual, yet age appropriate books for your kids. I hope you enjoy your Easter traditions and celebration of Christ's resurrection.
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