I finally got a chance to organize our children’s Bibles and devotions books in Chinese, Korean and English. Since our family hopes more people can learn about Jesus, we feel so blessed to share these resources with you!
Although we’re trying to raise multilingual kids, most of our scripture study has been in English so that we can truly understand the word of God. Also, since my husband doesn’t speak Chinese, family prayer time and serious discussions are in English so that we’re all on the same page.
However, over the years, my children and I have been gradually learning about the Bible in Chinese. In the past, our kids have been able to hear the word of God in Korean from other caregivers. But even in just English, our native language, talking to our kids about Jesus every day has been humbling and rewarding!
Table of Contents
Review of Children’s Bibles and Devotions in Chinese, Korean, and English
Purpose of our review
Did you know that the Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages? Translations are important so that people can read and learn about Jesus, hope, and salvation in their native language.
In contrast to Chinese and Korean, children’s Bibles in English are easy to find. Therefore, my main goal of this sharing our children’s Bibles and devotions is to raise awareness of Christian resources in our heritage languages.
However, the options can be overwhelming. I often end up with more books than we need, because I’m not sure what to get. To help you find the most appropriate children’s Bible in Chinese, Korean, and/or English, I’ll compare the level of detail.
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Limitations of our review
Although I’ve been learning Chinese with my children for 5 years, I’m still not fluent and have a lot of gaps in my vocabulary, including biblical terms. None of our Chinese children’s Bibles have Hanyu Pinyin or Zhuyin (bopomofo).
To help us read and translate unfamiliar Chinese characters, we are using our Youdao Dictionary Pen. My daughter is also using the Youdao Pen to translate English words. Unfortunately, Luka reading robot cannot read our Chinese children’s Bibles or devotion books.
As for our Korean Bible stories, these were mostly read by our kids’ previous nannies. Therefore, I’m not able to comment about nuances with translations for Chinese and Korean children’s Bibles.
Things to consider with children’s Bibles and devotions
The Bible should be part of the daily routine
To prioritize God’s word in our daily life, we have Bible reading as part of our visual daily routine (free printables here). Before diving into our meals, we pause for prayer.
However, God only became the priority in our home a couple years into parenthood. My husband and I try to keep each other accountable by putting faith first, and our children try to as well! So if you’re in the beginning stages of your faith journey, I hope this inspires you that it’s never too late to welcome Jesus into your daily life!
Children’s Bibles are secondary to the Holy Bible
While reading Bible stories to my kids, I found this post by Pastor John Wells from The Gospel Coalition to be especially helpful. Since the original Holy Bible will be overwhelming to young kids, parents and caregivers have to summarize concepts to an appropriate level.
Enter children’s story Bibles which have been written for our little ones. Storybook Bibles can help parents and caregivers explain deep topics in simple terms. However, Pastor John Wells reminds us that “we want [kids] to see the Bible not as a collection of moral fables, but as the epic story of redemption.”
It’s important to let our kids know that God’s word is much richer and truer than any children’s Bible. Children’s Bible stories should be considered supplemental to the Holy Bible.
Christian board books and music books (Korean, Chinese)
For babies and toddlers, sturdy Christian board books can withstand busy little hands.
겨자씨 성경세트 (전12권) (Korean)
We have ordered several Korean Christian books from SeJong Bookstore 세종문고 in Koreatown Galleria (Los Angeles, California).
When my daughter was a baby, she read a lot of mini Bible stories with her Korean nanny. Over the years, my husband has forgotten a lot of Korean, but he can read the bilingual board books 겨자씨 성경세트 (전12권). Both Korean and English are included in these books. Another great perk are the colorful handles for little hands to grab!
- ISBN: 9788963002552
We also got a couple of 우리아이 인물성경 books. While the shape is adorable, the high cost of each individual book precluded us from getting more. They are also redundant to the 겨자씨 성경세트 (전12권) books.
Stream of Praise music books (Chinese)
Many of you know that we have been long-term fans of Stream of Praise! Stream of Praise is the first bilingual worship band that we found when we began our Chinese learning journey. Please read our detailed review of Stream of Praise music board books here.
Related: 讚美之泉 Stream of Praise Chinese Christian Music + Printable Lyrics
한영 듀얼 복음 사운드북 (Korean)
Our former nanny bought this 한영 듀얼 복음 사운드북 sound book from Korean, and my kids love listening to the catchy worship songs. Please note that the music is extremely loud, so we cover the speakers with painter’s tape.
The music and text are in Korean and English.
- ISBN: 9791195676835
Daily devotions for kids (Chinese, English)
While we generally pray throughout the day, we’ve found that devotions books can offer a daily reminder for Bible reading. However, the downside of devotions is that the Bible verses maybe shortened and taken from various Bible versions. Also, as mentioned earlier in this post, devotional books should be used in conjunction with full Bibles for context.
Related: 12 Bible Verses on Faith and Parenting in English, Chinese, and Korean
One Year Devotions for Preschoolers (English)
When my first child was a toddler, the One Year Devotions for Preschoolers became a part of our daily routine. The author, Crystal Bowen, and illustrator, Elena Kucharik, have created a series of faith-based books called “Little Blessings.” Each date includes a:
- Short vignette
- Bible verse
- Prayer
My kids adore the cute illustrations which feature cute kids and animals. Meanwhile, I appreciate the diversity of the children and short vignettes, because God loves all people!
小宝宝日日学 (Chinese, English)
Recently, I discovered that a version of the Little Blessings’ devotions has been translated to simplified Chinese with English. We are gradually going through 小宝宝日日学, and the format is very similar to One Year Devotions for Preschoolers with a Chinese Bible verse, bilingual vignette, and bilingual prayer.
- 艺术: 0206043-Y040 (This book doesn’t have an ISBN)
- Where to buy: Chinese Holy Bible; Amazon; Bible in My Language; De Ziremi UK
Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science (English)
As a Christian physician, this is the one book here that I have some reservations about. I love the concept of Indescribable, because God is the creator of everything that’s amazing about this world! This devotions book celebrates our heavenly creator.
So far, my daughter has read most of it on her own, and she loves it. But I realized that I should have read it so that we could discuss it.
Each devotion is a 2-page spread that includes a:
- Bible verse
- Small cartoon illustration +/- photograph
- Lesson written in the first person (the author’s point of view)
- Prayer
- “Be Amazed” science blurb
Although I have read only a few chapters, I’ve found a few errors. For example, in Chapter 3: Dinosaurs and Dragons – Oh My!, the “Be Amazed blurb” has a mistake. It says “The acid in your stomach is so powerful it can melt metal.” Instead, it should be “dissolve” metal, as melting is a different scientific reaction that depends on heat. Another chapter states that our body has much more bacterial cells and human cells. According to this 2017 research study, the ratio should be closer to 1:1.
Related: Recommended Human Anatomy Toys | Science Gifts for Kids
Since this devotions book is so popular, I’ll share the ISBN information below. If you’re curious, please refer to the Amazon reviews for more analysis.
Jesus Calling (English)
I also recently ordered Jesus Calling for my daughter, but we haven’t read it yet as we’re going through 小宝宝日日学. However, Jesus Calling is a highly rated devotional is geared for elementary and middle school-aged kids. Each devotion starts with a verse, covers a short lesson, and ends with more suggested verses. Please note that Jesus Calling has no illustrations.
Children’s Bibles (Chinese, Korean, English)
Bible for Toddlers / 小淘气圣经 / 小淘氣聖經 (Chinese, English)
The Candle Bible for Toddlers is the most available Chinese children’s Bible that I could find. Although it was originally published in English, this version ironically has limited stock online!
If you have young children and/or not fluent in Chinese, this Bible has only 2 simple sentences per page. However, I personally don’t think the Bible for Toddlers is necessary if you are able to get the Beginner’s Bible (see next section).
English
Simplified Chinese
- ISBN: 9789625138909
- Where to Buy: Chinese Holy Bible; US Tien Dao
Traditional Chinese
- ISBN: 9789625135953
- Where to Buy: Chinese Holy Bible; US Tien Dao
Here are some photos of how the Bible for Toddlers compares to The Beginner’s Bible and how the wording varies in describing sinners versus Noah.
Beginner’s Bible for Kids / 小孩孑圣经 / 두란노 어린이 그림성경 (Chinese, Korean, English)
The Beginner’s Bible by Zonderkidz is near and dear to our hearts. We’ve been reading the English version since my daughter was a baby. The pages have become wrinkled, and we’ve taped many tears over the years.
The Beginner’s Bible was also one of the first books that my daughter learned to read in English! We are currently reading this children’s Bible in Chinese.
As shown in the comparison photos in the prior section, the Beginner’s Bible is slightly more wordy and advanced than the Candle Bible for Toddlers. In my opinion, if you’re looking for only one Bible for the early years, this should be sufficient.
English: This version has nice big font.
- ISBN: 9780310750130
- Where to buy: Amazon
Simplified Chinese: 小孩孑圣经 is bilingual with Chinese paragraphs above English text. Please note that this version was extremely difficult to find. A friend kindly found this for me in Singapore at Tiny Seeds Bookshop. Since I don’t see it online at that store, please contact the shop directly to see if they are able to obtain other copies. I’ll list other options below, too.
- ISBN: 9789628169214
- Where to buy: My Story Treasury; Lazada; Manna
Korean: 두란노 어린이 그림성경 has Korean words only.
- ISBN: 9788953111677
- Where to buy: Aladin
Jesus Storybook Bible (Chinese, Korean, English)
For elementary-aged kids, the Jesus Storybook Bible is the option that stays close to theology. Written by Sally Lloyd Jones, Jesus Storybook Bible has been translated to more than 50 languages!
Although we have Jesus Storybook Bible in English, traditional Chinese, and Korean, we’ve only read it in English so far. Unfortunately, simplified Chinese seems to be out of print.
The Sally Lloyd Jones’ website also offers activities to supplement the Jesus Storybook Bible.
English
Traditional Chinese
- ISBN: 9789623991728
- Where to buy: US Tien Dao; Elim Bookstore
Korean
Bible App for Kids (Chinese, Korean, English, and more)
YouVersion has a free and convenient Bible App for Kids available in more than 60 languages! I am thankful that YouVersion has made the Bible more accessible through this digital resource.
Occasionally, we have used the app to hear Bible stories in Mandarin Chinese. My 4-year-old is able to download and navigate the stories independently. The end of each Bible story is a simple, multiple choice question to assess comprehension.
The animated illustrations are similar to the cartoonish Beginner’s Bible. While the pictures are supposed to have special effects, they were very distracting when my children were younger and lacked impulse control. The Bible app also offers games, but they were not relevant for our purpose of learning scripture.
Related: Websites and Apps with FREE Multilingual Books
Holy Bible for older children and teens (English)
Although my oldest child is only 7 years old, she occasionally joins me with reading from my Bible.
My favorite bible is the ESV Super Giant Print Bible because of the large font on my nearsighted eyes! You can see how it compares to my hand size in the above photo. Due to the large word size and language of the ESV, my daughter is also more comfortable with trying to read a few passages. The downside is that it’s heavy and not very portable.
- ISBN: 9781433558832
- Where to buy: Amazon
What is your favorite Children’s Bible and devotional in Chinese, Korean, or English?
What language(s) do you speak and what your favorite resources for learning about God with your children? If you know of other great Christian resources or end up getting any of the ones we have, please share in the comments! My favorite part about blogging is learning from your experiences!
More Christian books for kids
- Noah’s Ark Books in Chinese and English
- Chinese Berenstain Bears Books about Faith 贝贝熊生命之光系列丛书
- Max Lucado Books for Kids in Chinese
- 20+ Christmas Picture Books for Kids in Chinese and English!
- Chinese Resources for Family Devotions (Spot of Sunshine)
Christian activities for kids
- Jesus Is King: Crown Craft & Free Coloring Pages in English, Chinese, Korean
- 3 Cardboard Cross Craft Decorations
- Chinese Bible Activities for Kids (Printable)
Where to buy Chinese books for kids
For all book recommendations, please explore our favorite Chinese books for kids and follow my Instagram book account @chinesekidlit for special highlights!
If you’re wondering where to buy kids’ books, please click here for a list of the most popular online Chinese bookstores!
Yuqi Liu says
We speak English and Chinese at home.
We would really like the Chinese version, both my husband and I are not religious person, but I would like my kid at least know those background story, so he won’t be left out at school
Jessica says
We speak English and Korean at home. So far, we own Baby’s First Bible Stories board book, but would love to add a Korean bible to our collection!
Joyce G says
We mainly speak English in our family. We would love be to learn how to read the Bible and pray in Chinese! This was an informative post! Thank you!
Stephenie says
A) I’m teaching my kids Mandarin as best as I can right now, being an ABC, so English and Chinese is currently our home language. (2) My daughter is 4- years old and most religious programs do not start for us until she’s in Kindergarten, so any Bible (in English or Chinese) would be great for my kids. We have read short prayers in English and would love to continue to expose my kids to more at home. And thank you for the blog and information! We learned a lot and it was a great guidance.
annie says
Thank you Betty!
(A) What language does your family speak/read? Chinese (traditional)
(B) What Bibles and/or devotion books are you thinking about getting for your kids? Traditional Chinese bibles/devotions with authentic biblical truth. Maybe story books by Heavenly Melody (睡夢鄉).
Sing Your Wang says
Whenever I have a question on my mind about resources for teaching my kids, I always find what I am looking for on your blog!
I ordered the bilingual bible that you mentioned, the one that you’re working through right now with your kids. I previewed it online and it seems to be a great fit for us in every way. I am beyond excited.