Children’s Books on Faith and Spirituality
Raising spiritual children can be a daunting endeavor. From a young age, children ask big existential questions that can challenge even the most thoughtful adult. At Beaming Books, we are passionate about creating progressive Christian books for kids that meet their open-hearted curiosity. We offer children a variety of stories told by a diverse array of storytellers that reflect values of peacemaking, justice, and inclusiveness. Whatever your religion or faith tradition, we hope our beautiful books help your child—and your inner child—navigate a complex world.
Nikki Grimes (Author)
Mother God
Teresa Kim Pecinovsky (Author)
Khoa Le (Illustrator)
God's Holy Darkness
Sharei Green (Author)
Beckah Selnick (Author)
Nikki Faison (Illustrator)
The Just Love Story Bible
Jacqui Lewis (Author)
Shannon Daley-Harris (Author)
Cheryl Thuesday (Illustrator)
I Am Not Afraid
Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (Author)
Marta Dorado (Illustrator)
Sparrow's Prayer
Roger Hutchison (Author)
Ag Jatkowska (Illustrator)
God Is Just Like Me
Karen Valentin (Author)
Antonieta Muñoz Estrada (Illustrator)
What If I Can't Explain God?
Jennifer Grant (Author)
Hsulynn Pang (Illustrator)
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Ways to See God
If God Were a Great Big Bear
A standout among God in nature books
If you are looking for books to teach kids about God, pick up If God Were a Great Big Bear. This picture book invites children to imagine God as a mighty whale, a waddly goose, a shining star, and many other elements of our environment. Together, these imaginings make up a story about the vastness of God’s presence. All genders are used for God in this poetic text, because God is in everyone. Paul Hardbridge’s simple verse and Marta Dorado’s lush illustrations depict an interconnected world, where people, animals, and plants matter, and where nature is God’s art.
Celebrations & Holidays
Each Day Is a Gift
Another day is delivered to you / like a gift waiting to be unwrapped / and used / and loved.
Each day brings the possibility of new gifts. We welcome some gifts with delight. Others are the kind we’d rather return.
Without mentioning God by name, this book cultivates gratitude by encouraging kids to celebrate every day. Each Day Is a Gift gently shows how gifts’ purposes are not always obvious right away, and while we cannot choose what gifts we receive, we can decide how to use them. Perfect for graduation, Thanksgiving, or a religious ceremony, Each Day is a Gift would make a beautiful and memorable present.
Lift-the-Flap Easter Stories for Young Children
Andrew J. DeYoung (Author)
Naomi Joy Krueger (Author)
Megan Higgins (Illustrator)
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Lift-the-Flap Christmas Stories for Young Children
Naomi Joy Krueger (Author)
Megan Higgins (Illustrator)
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Children’s Story Bibles
The Just Love Story Bible
A groundbreaking, justice-oriented illustrated Bible for children
In an inspiring new storybook Bible for children, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis and Rev. Dr. Shannon Daley-Harris join a tradition of sacred storytellers and question-askers. The best children’s bibles share the message that God loves us and created us to love God, love each other, to do justice, and to care about kindness. The Just Love Story Bible shows exactly that. It’s a book where families are invited to use their imaginations and understand that all people on earth deserve to be loved and to have justice, equality, and dignity. It is a children’s bible with Black characters and characters of every color.
Through retellings of thoughtfully selected Bible stories, The Just Love Story Bible presents a way to hear how others have also asked questions about God, and the answers they found; to have your own ideas; and to keep on wondering.
Lift-the-Flap Bible Stories for Young Children
Andrew J. DeYoung (Author)
Naomi Joy Krueger (Author)
Megan Higgins (Illustrator)
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Praying Together
Sparrow's Prayer
“Teaching children how to pray is one of my most joyful and sacred tasks as a parish priest. Roger Hutchison's newest book will be at the top of my toolbox for this calling.”
—The Rev. Elizabeth Felicetti, rector of St. David’s Episcopal in Richmond, Virginia
Teaching kids prayer can be difficult, especially when you are teaching preschoolers about prayer, or elementary-age children. In Sparrow’s Prayer, Sparrow’s words get tangled in his beak, so Sparrow asks his friends how they pray. Each friend shows Sparrow creative ways to pray, through art, movement, and being generous. Sparrow learns that each life is a prayer of thanksgiving, and that sometimes, powerful prayers do not include words. Backmatter from the author offers suggestions on creative ways to pray with children.
Exploring Religion
God's Holy Darkness
“God’s Holy Darkness offers an opportunity to challenge darkness as bad or evil, instead exploring the holy goodness that darkness has to offer. This is a beautiful work for our times.”
—National Catholic Reporter
God’s Holy Darkness by Sharei Green and Beckah Selnick is an anti-racist picture book that celebrates instances where the color black in the bible is beautiful, holy, and good. Singular among Black Christian children’s books, it teaches readers that blackness is something to celebrate as important in the life of faith, from the darkness at the start of creation to the blackness of the sky when Christ's birth was announced. Lush and vibrant illustrations by artist Nikki Faison underscore the mystery and beauty of these moments. Not just a children’s book for Black kids, hand this to all children (and adults) to remind them of the wondrous acts of God's holy darkness.
Religion around the World
Sonja Hagander (Author)
Matthew Maruggi (Author)
Megan Borgert-Spaniol (Author)
Chester Bentley (Illustrator)
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The Totally True Book of Strange and Surprising Bible Lists
Carla Barnhill (Author)
Marc Olson (Author)
Kelsey Heaton (Illustrator)
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The Story of Us
Mitali Perkins (Author)
Kevin Howdeshell (Illustrator)
Kristen Howdeshell (Illustrator)
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