The Epistles for Kids by Matt Dodd & Thom Brandson
The Epistles for Kids sit in a unique spot on my children’s bookshelf. They’re not storybooks, topical books, or even a regular kids Bible. They’re a translation of the New Testament letters (with four completed so far), aimed at children and accompanied by illustrations.
As our family has read them over the last month, I’ve come to appreciate their thoughtfulness. The books are deliberately more than just a paraphrase of an adult Bible. Every word feels meticulously chosen, both for faithfulness to the original text and for a young audience. Some bigger Bible words are intentionally left unchanged, but with explanations woven into the text or included in the kid-friendly glossary at the back. I also really enjoyed the ‘Before we begin…’ section, which presents the gospel simply and provides helpful historical context to set the scene.
The standout feature of the books, however, is the illustrations. They very cleverly tackle the trickiest aspect of reading the epistles with children; the abstract concepts. In 1 Peter, for example, three children are depicted throughout, showing how the letter impacts them personally in different ways. The pictures definitely helped my girls (6 and 8) engage with the text, even when some of the words were a little above their heads.
These books are perfect for primary-aged kids. My oldest child (11) read them independently and found them easier to understand than the NIV. For my girls, I read with them and took my time. In their tired state, there was often enough to talk about in two to four pages before it was time for bed. We’ll definitely keep coming back to these books, as they enable us to dwell on the wonderful riches of the epistles together!
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Reviewed by Winnie Lau
Winnie is married to Ez and they have three kids; Micah, Isobel and Zoe. Two of her new ventures this year include church planting with her husband and being a ministry co-worker at Campbelltown Anglican Churches. On the EQUIP team, Winnie looks after printing and posting bookmarks, along with other behind-the-scenes roles.