Everything a Child Should Know about God

Every Child Should Know

by Kenneth N. Taylor, Jenny Brake (Illustrator)

This is the perfect way to introduce children to the most important Bible truths of the Christian faith. Author Kenneth N. Taylor presents such profound topics as sin, the Trinity, and salvation in an easy-to-read narrative style. Children will enjoy the colorful illustrations as they gain a deeper understanding of what it mean to be a Christian.

Genres: Childrens, Christian, Theology, Picture Books, Devotional, Faith, Parenting

196 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 1996

About the author

Throughout his publishing career, Dr. Kenneth Nathaniel Taylor's dream was for all peoples of the world to read and understand God's Word and experience its power at work in their lives. From his earliest children's books to his generous support of Christian ministry, this vision was (and still is) reflected in his work. Ken Taylor, founder of Tyndale House Publishers, died in June 2005 at the age of 88. Early in his publishing career in the 1950s as director of Moody Press, Dr. Taylor wrote several children's books. Born out of experience with his own ten children, "Stories for the Children's Hour," "The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes," and others are now being enjoyed by a third generation of children. "My First Bible in Pictures" was included in "Publishers Weekly"'s list of "All-Time Best-Selling Children's Books" in 2001. His love for children (including his 28 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren) continues to inspire new titles. In fact, it was his children, in their confusion over the meaning of the King James Version, who prompted his mission to make the Bible understandable for everyone. Dr. Taylor's "Living Letters," a thought-for-thought translation of the New Testament Epistles, was published by the newly formed Tyndale House Publishers in 1962. The complete "Living Bible" followed in 1971 and has now sold over 40 million copies in its many editions. In 1996 Tyndale House introduced the "Holy Bible," New Living Translation. In keeping with Dr. Taylor's vision of Scriptures that everyone can read, the New Living Translation is a thought-for-thought translation that is exegetically accurate and idiomatically authoritative. Ninety of today's leading Bible scholars worked with Tyndale House to develop this easy-to-understand translation. Tyndale has become one of the top evangelical publishers in America and today publishes books, several Bible lines, periodicals, and videos. During the past 40 years, Tyndale House has distributed over 100 million Bibles, New Testaments, and Bible portions worldwide. Dr. Taylor used the success of "The Living Bible" to further his mission by distributing all its royalties to Christian ministries worldwide. He founded Living Bibles International (which merged in 1992 with the International Bible Society) for translating, publishing, and distributing modern-language versions of the Bible around the world. His life of service has been recognized with at least 30 honors and awards from different organizations, including four honorary doctorates. In October 2000, Dr. and Mrs. (Margaret) Taylor were awarded the Distinguished Service to Family Award by Wheaton College. A graduate of Wheaton College, with graduate studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Taylor held 15 directorships with Christian organizations at home and abroad.

Reviews

[Vivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I can't believe it - I flipped through this book so many times, when I was a child and couldn't yet read. To see this here awakes such tender feelings in me! Wonderful book with beautiful pictures. Great for children!

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book. Very simple enough for toddlers, but deep enough for elementary aged kids. Each page has a short, child-appropriate paragraph about God with a follow-up question to see if the kids heard & understood. The pictures are fabulously diverse and my 6-year-old really liked this one.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some British-isms (e.g., "mum" for "mom," honour, etc.).

74: Jesus was born in a barn?
82: Wise Men visited Jesus later.
100: pressure to pray the sinner's prayer (also p. 128)
114: Jesus walked through a wall?
118: Jesus might come back today?
Part 6: Jesus wants you to be saved?
142: The Holy Spirit helps us to obey.
Part 8 is about why we go to church, but it doesn't have anything about hearing the Word preached. The section on the Lord's Supper (p. 162) was just about remembrance.
186: 2nd commandment is about not worshiping idols?

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My preschooler really liked this book as her devotion book. Most of it was good but a small part of the theology did not match my own. Very simplistic for young ones. Enjoyed the cute illustrations.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn’t a traditional Bible storybook--instead of going through a narrative, it takes biblical topics that you might find in a systematic theology and brings them down to a child’s level. Each addresses a topic, such as “God Is Holy,” in a short paragraph of text, with an illustration on the facing page. Bible passages are included for further study, along with a comprehension question to ask the child. The topics are organized into thematic sections such as “Who God Is” (with various attributes of God), “The Holy Spirit Helps Us” (the work of the Holy Spirit) and “Why We Go to Church” (explaining some of the ordinances children might see in church).

The advantage of a book like this is that it covers topics that might not naturally come up in a Bible read-through. The information is accurate and given in very simple terms, but parents should definitely pre-read to make sure they agree with everything being presented. My husband and I chose to skip one section which asked a leading question about praying to ask Jesus to be your Savior, simply because we felt our oldest might feel pressured to do it to please Mom and Dad rather than from genuine understanding and belief. Others might find more theological differences, but for our family it seemed mostly the same.

Others mentioned the questions being too easy for their kids. Oddly, my 3-year-old had a hard time answering the comprehension question at the end of the paragraph. I don't know if that was because she wasn't listening, she was being stubborn, or she just wasn't interested. It was hard to tell. For this reason I was thinking she might enjoy it more when she gets older, but it looks like people had varied experiences on what age worked for them.

I would recommend this for families who have been through a Bible storybook already and want to make additional connections. Although the sentences are very simple, some of the concepts will be difficult for children to grasp, so previous knowledge will be helpful.

[Byron Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este es un libro cristiano estupendo para los lectores más pequeños. La narrativa es clara, positiva y muy accesible, transmitiendo el mensaje central del conocer a Dios de una forma dulce y sencilla.
Ahora, el "pero": Si buscas un recurso que profundice en la teología o que desafíe a los niños mayores con aplicaciones más complejas, este libro se queda corto. Está diseñado para la introducción, y en ese sentido, es excelente. Pero los temas se manejan con una sencillez que a veces roza lo superficial.

[Elliott Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through this together for family devotions. It introduces a lot of theology in a very simple and concise way. I only wish it included the verse of the day on the page instead of just the reference.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to find a book that’s helpful for young kids under seven to understand more about God and Christ? In this book Kenneth Taylor who is a recognized children’s writer and founder of Tyndale House Publishers explains in kids-friendly language the essential Bible truths for children to know and understand. Overall I think I would commend him for doing a good job! I enjoyed reading this book to my daughters at night before they went to sleep.
This particular edition is an updated version of Kenneth Taylor’s work under the same title. However this work has a new illustrator and updates the artwork in a way that my kids and I really enjoyed. The book itself is divided into ten parts. In a way this is a “systematic theology” of sorts for young ones! Part one looks at the Bible while part 2 and 3 looks at God in terms of what God has done and who God is respectively. Part 4 then covers the problem of sin then part 5 goes over how Jesus comes to help us with the problem of sin. Problem 6 looks further at the subject of how Jesus wants to save sinners then part 7 looks at the help for believers coming from the Holy Spirit. Part 8 is titled “Why We Go to Church” and part 9 is about living as Jesus’ followers and finally part 10 is about Jesus coming back. There’s also an end titled “Just Remember” that reminds the readers that God is with believers and the listing and explanation of the 10 commandments.
This book was a lot more thorough than I first anticipated which I was pleasantly surprised. Yet it discusses its topic in an easy to understand manner. I appreciated how each section mention Bible verses where one can find out more from the Bible followed by a question. I ask my kids the questions mentioned as a gauge to see if they are paying attention but also as conversation starters. That’s helpful. The pages are nice white pages that’s smooth and the hardcover makes this a beautiful book, which is a plus in my book (pun intended). I recommend this work for parents to read to their kids and also ideal as gift books for kids, grandkids and nephews and nieces.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, easy to read manual of the Christian faith and what it looks like to practically love and follow God. The chapters are cohesive and build upon one another and the language is easy for even young kids to understand. My favorite thing about the way this book is written are the questions at the end of each lesson that help the kids recall the important point they just learned. I have enjoyed reading this book, maybe as much as my son has! We plan to have it be a regular nighttime read - we always read at least a few pages each night and we love it!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys really enjoyed this book! We used it as a morning devotional with a couple pages at a time, and they always reminded me to do “the question book.” It’s simple and broken down into mostly understandable concepts. I found it helpful to introduce topics and lead into bigger conversations. There were some nitpicky things that bothered me, but those were easy to skip over or rephrase. I do wish it had corresponding Scripture references on each page. I enjoyed reading my boys a verse to go along with what we discussed, but had to find them on my own.

[Annelies Veurink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ordered this book to read to my 3 & 4 year olds after LOVING “Everything a Child Should Know About Prayer “. It did not disappoint!! It has simple language to explain God & His characteristics, great illustrations. I did not come across anything that was not sound theology. So this will also go on our shelf as a go-to devotional read on rotation - it’s great for toddlers and a good refresher for parents as well!

[Kirk Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful. Covers a lot of important subjects and does so in a very accessible way for children. My main complain is the use of some unhelpful cliches (asking Jesus into ones heart) and folk theology (speaking of church as a place or event, eg “going to church”; identifying heaven, rather than a renewed creation, as the believer’s ultimate destiny).

[Autumn Barbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

We started reading this with our kids when they were 2 and 4, and I’d say this is perfect for that age group. The devotionals are short, with references to corresponding Bible passages, and one simple question to make sure the kids get the concept being presented. We loved the quirky, cartoonish illustrations too.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to know what age this book is aimed at. The questions at the end of each page are super simple and we had to make up our own to spark discussion and ensure our 3 and 4 year olds had listened and understood. Otherwise a good little book, quite comprehensive.

[Michael Schmid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short chapters, simple pictures, meaningful questions for discussion - great book for my 3-year-old, which he enjoyed a lot and I'm sure also taught him a lot and got him thinking about God.

[Iain Hamill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this for family devotions. Fairly light, and the questions were usually very obvious for our 4 and 3 year olds. But nice pictures, and obviously timeless truths.

[Julie Zilkie]

Perfect for the four to five year old. I read a couple of pages each night with Abigail before bed and had her narrate them back to me.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with the girls for family devotions. It was a bit young for them—target age 2-4yo. While it covers a lot God’s attributes I felt it was more works focused and less grace saturated.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book to help introduce kids to God. Short and easy to read. Perfect for kids with follow up questions for reading comprehension. Simple easy to understand answers to the most common questions kids ask. A must read.

[James Bunyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite wide- ranging, faithful and the illustrations really carry it.
It’s a bit too stern for a five star book! Hard to see it persuading children of the goodness of the gospel, in some places.

[Heidi Kuipers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute illustrations, great content, definitely geared to younger audience. I'd say under age 8 optimally.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I read this with my daughter and she loved it!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the 2017 reprinted twice version. I love the illustrations by Jenny Brake. And the text and Bible verses go well together. Definitely a book I want to remember to recommend to those with young children.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has short instructional paragraphs about topics ranging from the Bible to the Church to sin and forgiveness, with a question at the end to start a conversation. On each opposing page, there is an illustration that would be a good way to talk through what was read in the paragraph (be forewarned that with the ebook, you are unfortunately unable to see both the paragraph and the picture at the same time). The book is designed to be used by parents with their preschool and Kindergarten children, and could be a very valuable resource for covering basic truths. While the majority of the book is full of important truths, like “The Bible tells us about God. He made out world and the sun and the moon,” other statements like “If they don’t go to church each week, they would gradually forget about how wonderful God is” seem more like opinions.

I was a little uncomfortable with the “Jesus Wants to Save You” topic. The author writes: “Jesus died for you because he wanted to be your Saviour. He will be glad to forgive your sins if you ask him to. He wants you to come and talk to Him about it. You can tell Him, ‘Thank you for dying for me. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.’ Do you want to do that now?” While I believe all of that to be the true gospel message, I do not think it is an age-appropriate way to expect a child to make an informed decision for Jesus. Children want to please, and preschool children will often answer “yes” to a great many questions that they don’t fully understand. Talking in concrete terms is important with this age group, and phrases like “come into my heart” are very confusing if not explained. I like this guide for the chance to talk through truths about God, but would want child-led, open-ended conversations about making a decision to follow Jesus rather than a prayer invitation that a child might answer without thinking. I like this resource from Gospel Light for that type of a conversation: abouthttp://www.gospellightvbs.com/sonspar...

Despite the title, this is not an exhaustive “everything” encyclopedia about everything a child should ever know about God. It is a good starting point that is mostly age-appropriate for preschoolers and Kindergarteners, and would be a great family devotion that could hopefully lead to deep discussion.

[Royce · Rating 5 out of 5]

note: The illustrations are great.

God Has Always Lived
Where did God come from? Did He have a mum and dad? No, God did not need parents. He has always been alive. Who made God? No one did. God has always been alive and is always going to be alive.
Review Question: Did God have a mum and dad?

We All Have Sin in Our Hearts
All of Adam and Eve's children and grandchildren and everyone else did bad things too. How many bad things can you see happening in this picture? Why are they doing these things? It is because all of us have sin in our hearts. But God sent His Son, Jesus, to help us.
Review Question: Do you ever do things you shouldn't? God has sent Jesus so that you can be forgiven for your sins.

Jesus Dies on a Cross
The soldiers nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross and left Him there to die. Had He been bad? Is that why He was being killed? No, He had never done anything wrong. He was dying for you sins and mine. God was punishing Him for the bad things we have done. He died in our place. Now God can forgive us for being bad if we ask Him to.
Review Question: Who died for your sins? Do you want to ask Him to forgive you and be your Saviour and Lord?

We Go to Church for the Lord's Supper
On the night before Jesus died on the cross, He ate His last supper with His twelve disciples. He wanted to do something special to help them remember Him... When we do this in church, it reminds us that Jesus died for our sins and that we are God's friends.
Review Question: What does Jesus want us to remember?

Jesus' Friends Are Kind
Here are two children who love Jesus. They are picking flowers to take to a neighbour who is ill. They are being kind. They Holy Spirit inside the is helping them to be kind.
Review Question: Who is helping the children to be kind?

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book... A systematic theology primer for our children. But as I think of the long term faith goals I have for my children, this book doesn't measure up.
1. The title is a bit presumptuous: "everything" a child should know?
2. I want my child's faith to be less about knowledge about God and more about experience with God.
3. The goal seems to be that kids would see that sin is "telling a lie" or stealing (p126), that they are sinners, that they'd pray a prayer so that they go to heaven after they're old and die, and that in the meantime, they'd rely on the Holy Spirit to "help them be good" (p142), that they'd go to church, and be kind to their friends. It feels a bit too much like a religion of moralism that's being taught in this book than the Gospel that I read about in Scripture.
4. The questions at the bottom of each page feel very much like "Sunday school" questions. They're simplistic and not conducive to further conversation. They're more about the child repeating facts (often non-essential facts) than about leading a child to a place of interacting with deeper heart issues or truths.

So like I said, I like the idea of a devotional style, systematic primer that facilitates conversation about essential aspects of faith without children. but I would want it to be less about facts and morals and more about experience and the bigger, Christi-centric Kingdom story that is unfolded in scripture.

[Mary A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this book! The reprint is beautifully done. It is a special hardcover book with beautiful, modern illustrations. This helps make the book seem like something more special, a keepsake for our family, which I really enjoy. I recently purchased The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New, which is a gorgeous systematic theology type book for older kids, but I am so glad I have this for the younger years before they are ready for that book! I think the two texts will lead into each other perfectly over the years. Story book and kids Bibles are great, and of course the actual Scriptures, but I can see reading one or two of these questions and answers a night when our kids are young to lay a good foundation for understanding Scriptural truths. It would also go together well with Songs for Saplings' question and answer catechism songs. I'm so thankful for the people who devote their lives to producing beautifully made and theologically sound materials for our children!!

[Aaron White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 5 year old and 2 year old, a chapter every week before church. The writing was very simple for my 5 year old, but that was good, because he is just starting to grasp some of the concepts this book covers. The language was good for my 2 year old, but the concepts a bit beyond his ken. Overall a great book that really helped to clarify and simply lay out the things that he has been learning at church and home. The pictures are fun and perfect. I plan to read it again to my 2 year old when he is older and my 1 year old.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great catechism for my kids. Been going through it one or two devo's per day. Includes a short paragraph with a follow up question to ask. Has nice pictures and graphics. The kids always want to know what is happening in the picture. I tell them we'll have to read to find out. And the author usually explains what is going on in the picture. They love it, and so do I.