If you were to peek over the shoulder of a grandpa or young mom as they read the Bible with their little one, what story do you think they might be reading? There are so many choices, because from the first page to the last, the Bible is simply full of iconic stories… how the world was created in just six days; how a little boy fought a huge giant and won; how a tiny newborn came to be placed in a manger; or how Jesus fed more than 5000 hungry people one day.

Children learn through story—it’s the reason why the shelves in our Christian stores are filled with Storybook Bibles. But have you ever thought about sharing the Psalms with children? Although we won’t find any stories there, the Psalms contain rich images of God as creator, protector, defender, helper and listener— pictures of God that are wonderful to share with our little ones. Yet the language in the Psalms is hard for children to comprehend, and the emotions expressed are often raw. 

The challenge, then, is how to present the Psalms to children in words and ways they will understand and be able to relate to. I first came across Psalms for Young Children by Marie Helene-Deval when I was out shopping with my 3 year old grandson. I immediately fell in love with the simplicity of the words, while he fell in love with the beauty of the illustrations. In this selection of 38 Psalms, the author captures their essence in a beautiful, concise way, as this example from Psalm 23 shows:

God is my shepherd

He leads me in the right

direction. And even if I have to

Walk in a dark place,

I am not scared.

I know nothing will hurt me

If I walk with God.

It was this lovely book that inspired me to write my own book of Psalms for children. My goal was threefold: to stay faithful to the feelings and intent of the Psalmists; to create a way for little ones to connect at their own level with the poetry book of the Bible; and to help them express their own feelings of sadness, joy, or fear. This page is my favorite in Snuggle Time Psalms, because it reminds me of my little grandson who wobbles around on his bike:

My hope for this little book is that through its pages, children might come to know our great God, our creator, protector, helper and listener—the One who they can cry out to, the One who the Psalmists knew so well.

Glenys