Parental concern for the well being of their children is an age-old concern. In recent years, however, the types of concerns parents have are changing.

According to a recent survey commissioned by ZondervanBibles, 86% of Americans say the Bible is relevant for today's world. Nearly half of all respondents believe the Bible can have the greatest impact on children by teaching them values and helping them distinguish between right and wrong. Most American parents want their children to receive some form of religious education and the Bible remains a primary resource parents depend on to teach their children about God.

The children's Bible market has flourished in the last decade to meet the demands of parents looking for ways to pass on and instill strong values in their children in a rapidly changing culture.

“We recognize that no two children are alike. For this reason, we publish many types of Bibles and each is specially designed to appeal to children at different ages and stages of their lives,” says Alicia Mey. “The key to engaging a child is to find the Bible that is most relevant to the child's personal development and social skills.”

There are hundreds of Bibles designed for kids at all reading levels, including Bible storybooks that feature engaging narratives of principal Bible stories, children's full-text study Bibles, and even devotional Bibles with special themes designed for kids. To help you select the right children's Bible, ask yourself three things:

1.       How will the child use the Bible? Will it be read for storytelling, to begin memorizing Scripture, or to introduce children to the stories of the Bible?

2.       What is the spiritual and emotional development of the child? Has the child begun asking questions about God or are they more interested in learning by repetition?

3.       At what level can the child comprehend what they are reading? Will the child need to be read to, or are they able to read by themselves? Can they put what they learn into practice?

Zonderkidz publishes a full selection of Bibles available through your favorite local retailer.