November is Picture Book Month! Did you know that you can borrow children’s picture books from the NC Conference Media Center? Read them to your children, grandchildren, or Sunday School class to teach Christian stories and principles.
Visit our new Children’s Picture Book Pathfinder to see the full list. We have highlighted two books in each category below. Picture books for the Christmas season are listed separately in the Advent and Christmas Resources for Children Pathfinder.
Request to borrow any of these books from the Media Center for reading at church or at home. The NC Conference Media Center is open to all clergy and laity in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, free of charge.
Click on the title of each book to read a full description in our online catalog.
Bible Stories
The Day When God Made Church: A Child’s First Book About Pentecost tells the biblical story of the Holy Spirit descending upon God’s people. The pages are filled with brightly colorful illustrations from end to end with only a sentence or two on each page. A note to parents, educators, and pastors is included.
In the Beginning There Was No Sky tells the story of creation. The author, Walter Wangerin, Jr., writes this story to a crying child to assure the child of God’s great love for them as His special creation. A few short paragraphs of the story accompany each picture of God’s creation.
Christian Practices
Come, Touch the Water and Come, Taste the Bread tell the biblical stories of Jesus’ baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The United Methodist author recounts the stories with one or two sentences for each full-color illustration. Each book concludes with a note to the adult reader about these sacraments. A CD-ROM is also available to use these books in a six-week study.
Sharing God’s Love is a children’s version of The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight. The book illustrates how children can choose to love God with all your heart and love others as yourself in several everyday situations. From breakfast to dinner time, remembering the Jesus creed clarifies what to do to share God’s love. Teacher lessons and activities are available in a separate book.
Multiculturalism
The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights is a large and beautifully-illustrated book that shows God’s presence throughout the difficult history of slavery and civil rights. The book begins by quoting the Beatitudes from the Bible and then these words run across the bottom of the pages throughout the book. At each point in history, God declares that he was there then and will forever be. The ending pages include short biographies of the people included in the story. This book is intended for ages 8 & up.
Elizabeth & Stella Meet ZOE is a children’s book about ZOE Ministry, a mission of the NC Conference. Elizabeth, an American girl, and Stella, a Kenyan girl, are both impacted by ZOE ministry that cares for orphans in Africa. The book inspires generosity as part of our own story and God’s story.
Social Issues
Bye-Bye Bully! is a guidebook for children to learn how to deal with bullies. With helpful illustrations, the book explains what bullying is and four ways to stop bullies. It also encourages children to help others that are being bullied. A note to caregivers is included in the front.
Hands Are Not for Hitting explains why it is not okay to hit and what good things we can do with our hands instead. The book also explores what to do when you aren’t getting along with your friends. The ending pages offer a note to grown-ups and activities for each part of the book.
Other Picture Books
The Pumpkin Patch Parable tells the story of a farmer who makes a pumpkin into a bright, shining jack-o-lantern. The story is a parable of how God’s love forms us into light-bearers. Popular Christian author Liz Curtis Higgs wrote this story to teach the Good News to her own children.
The Bedtime Rhyme tells the story of a fearful child at bedtime. The parent reassures the child that they will defend them from anything that can harm them, but even better is God who loves the child more than the parent. Walter Wangerin, Jr. has written a beautiful and entertaining bedtime story about God’s unfailing love.
Request These Resources
Would you like to borrow these books to read at church or at home? We can mail them to you! Simply fill out the Resource Request Form, or contact the Media Center with any questions. The NC Conference Media Center is open to all clergy and laity in the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, free of charge.
Browse the complete lists of children’s picture books in our collection: