Jenn Doing My Best

Lent begins tomorrow, starting with Ash Wednesday. We’re exploring five meaningful Lent books for kids that are gently guiding our family through this sacred season. 🙏🏽💜

We are also using these faith-based books as part of our homeschooling studies. This will give us an opportunity to reserve more time for deeper reflection and help us grow in understanding and devotion.

Here are a few kids’ books about Lent we’re reading this season.

1. Child’s Guide to Mass by Sue Stanton (2000) — Understanding the Catholic Mass can be challenging for adults and children alike. So, I love how this picture book is written in a fun story format that will hold my kids’ attention and keep them engaged.

Sarah, the main character of the story, invites the reader to attend Mass with her. She explains every part of the Mass including the Introductory Rite, Penitential Rite, Liturgy of the Word, and Homily.

There are even questions throughout the story that invites children to find key terms and identify faith symbols in the illustrations.

2. I Believe: The Nicene Creed illustrated by Pauline Baynes (2003) — In this book, the late author and illustrator Pauline Baynes shows the beauty of the profession of faith in her remarkable illustrations of angels, Christ’s passion, animals, beasts, and celestial imagery.

It’s a lovely book to read for prayer time with the kids, as part of a homeschooling lesson, to take to church, or even as a bedtime story.

3. Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspirong Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage by Carey Wallace (2020) — This isn’t a book on Lent. However, we just started learning more about saints this month. So, we are going to include this book with our Lent studies.

Stories of the Saints features 70 saints such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Monica, Francis, Thomas Aquinas, Joan of Arc, and Moses the Strong.

The illustrations are beautiful and reminds me of graphic novel art style. I only wish the saints were featured chronologically in order according to their feast days.

4. Lenten Survival Guide for Kids by Peter Celano (2014) — I like how this Lenten guide explains to kids the meaning of Lent and how to practice it in a relatable and sometimes funny way.

This guide features what Lent means, what is fasting, prayers for kids to say, Stations of the Cross, scripture references, and encourages regular Bible reading for the children.

5. An Introduction to the Liturgical Year by Inos Biffi (1994) — This book is perfect for year-round guidance for kids to help them grasp the Catholic Liturgical Year. It helps children (and dare I say even the grownups!) understand the feasts as they are reflected in the missal.

For Lent purposes, there are features on the meaning of Lent, the significance of 40 days depicted numerous times in the Bible, the objection of Peter, Jesus is the living water, Jesus is the light of the world, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and so much more!

I plan on purchasing this book for our home library collection so we can use it throughout the Liturgical Year.

So far, our library picks on Lent books for kids are serving as a great guide for our faith journey, adding a meaningful rhythm to our Lenten days.

Are there any other children’s books you’d recommend for Lent?

💜XO

P.S.—a few moments from our Ash Wednesday.

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