As a children’s editor at Pauline Books & Media, I am constantly asking myself, “What message do we want to communicate to our children and young people today?” The answer to that question invariably boils down to: Jesus. We want to provide a space for children and young people to enter into a living relationship of love with Jesus Christ. While there are many ways of encountering Christ, Scripture is a privileged meeting place with the Master.

Scripture is the story of God’s love for us. And because it is a story, it provides an excellent and easy way to engage and teach children. What better way to impart the message of God’s unimaginable love for us than by sharing the story of the birth, life, and death of Jesus. Many other lessons can be found along the way, too. The story of Noah shows us God’s fidelity to his promises. Sharing the story of David and Goliath opens up the message of courageous trust in God. The story of the Good Samaritan helps us ask how we are being compassionate and loving. And the list goes on!

It is important to begin to introduce children to the Bible at a young age. As the story of salvation, Scripture is our story, too. There are many children’s Bibles that use kid-friendly language and illustrations to offer Scripture stories to children of all ages. They also offer different was to make the stories accessible to children. My Storytime Bible has exciting, colorful illustrations of Old and New Testament stories, with the added feature of a two-line introduction to each story that helps the child make the connection between themselves and the story. The recently released Bible Adventures & Activities combines each Old and New Testament story with a creative activity page.

These and many other children’s Bibles can be found on our website. I encourage you to look into them, and I pray that your own encounter with Christ in Scripture will impel you to bring him to our children and young people.

God bless you,
Sr. Emily Beata, FSP