Best Holy Week Books for Kids

I love picture books! As I was writing our free Holy Week family Bible study, I knew I'd want to include the best Easter books for kids. These books have beautiful illustrations for younger children to enjoy, and older siblings will stay interested because of the authors' unique perspectives.

My favorite Holy Week & Easter picture books:

The Donkey Who Carried a King by R. C. Sproul

On Palm Sunday, this is always the first book I read my kids! The youngest is six, and the oldest of my five children is almost sixteen, but all of the books I recommend here will be treasured for life. This book is written from the perspective of the donkey that carried Jesus on Palm Sunday. It includes questions in the back for parents to discuss with their children.

The Priest with the Dirty Clothes by R. C. Sproul

This book teaches children the doctrine of imputation through the story of a priest who traded his dirty clothes for Jesus' clean clothes so he could stand before the king. I love reading this at Easter because that's why Christ died—to trade our sin for His righteousness so we could stand before our King. There are excellent discussion questions at the back of the book. Children of all ages will understand a big and important doctrinal concept from this wonderful story.

The Thief Who Stole Heaven by Raymond Arroyo

This is a fictional tale of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. It tells a story of how one of them fell into a life of crime, encountered Jesus as an infant escaping to Egypt, and then recognized Him as Lord while he hung on the cross. I get teary-eyed on the page where the thief's eyes meet Jesus' every time I read this. This story reminds us that it’s never too late to turn to Jesus and that Jesus can forgive anyone.

The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross by Carl Laferton

This brightly colored picture book tells the story of how sin separated us from God and Jesus’ death allowed us to be reunited with Him, represented by the tearing of the temple curtain.

The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Hunt

This folktale is told from the perspective of three trees with big dreams. Their dreams are achieved in unexpected ways by taking part in Jesus’ birth, life, and death. I get teary-eyed on this book also!

The Friend Who Forgives by Dan DeWitt

I love this book because I love Peter! I feel like I can really relate to him personality-wise. This book tells the story of how Jesus forgave Peter for denying Him three times and how Jesus forgives us too. If you can't get a copy of this book, you can listen to Dan DeWitt read it for free on YouTube here.

Bare Tree and Little Wind by Mitali Perkins

This beautifully illustrated book is told from the perspective of Little Wind. Little Wind carries us from Passover to Good Friday, to Jesus’ resurrected appearances, to the destruction of the Temple, to the joyfully expectant waiting for Jesus to come again. While I do love this book, I don't recommend all of this author's books due to differences in theology.

Bonus Easter book:

The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs

This isn't a children's book, but I'm going to include it for the teens and moms! This book follows the women surrounding Jesus verse by verse through Holy Week. This book is so well-written that I feel like I'm there with Jesus and these women, experiencing their joy, sorrow, and wonder.

I hope you enjoy these books as much as my family does! I've included all of them, plus more, in the Holy Week family Bible study which you can preview below and download now for FREE! If you love Talk Through the Bible's family discussion guides for the books of the Bible, you'll love this Holy Week study. It's set up with the same discussion-based format and includes recommended books (including the ones above!) and links to optional activities, crafts, and recipes!

How is our free Holy Week Bible Study set up?

Our family Easter study goes deeper than a simple devotion without requiring prep or prior knowledge. We've made it easy to lead real, honest conversations that will stick with your kids and build a foundation of faith.

Discussion-based: Instead of telling kids what to believe, leading questions help them discover the truth themselves so they can own their faith.
In-depth Theology: Both teens and younger siblings are challenged to think critically.
The Whole Story: All four Gospels are woven together so your family covers all the details.
Zero Prep: Simply open the guide, read the Scripture, and start discussing.
20-30 Minutes: Fits busy schedules.