Why Write Church History for Kids?
Audio Transcript
Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’
It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; something about Whitefield that a toddler could connect with?’
Adults know that church history is informative and instructive, but we can miss how fascinating and fun it is, and that’s what I hope children pick up from these books. God’s people have incredible stories and we can enjoy them with really young children. One of the things I love about the illustrations is the accurate detail that Blair Baille has put into them. If you google ‘Lloyd-Jones meeting Queen Elizabeth’ you can see the photograph faithfully rendered in the board book in a fun, accessible way. The Spurgeon’s home, Katharina Luther’s house — they’re real, and children reading these books will grow up able to recognize not only the names and the faces but also the landmarks and the eras in church history because of the illustrations here.
My hope is that families will enjoy reading these together so that we have a generation growing up who never knew a time when they were unaware of the cloud of witnesses that God has put around them.
— Rebecca VanDoodewaard, author of the Banner Board Book Series.
Books in the new Series
The Doctor Who Became a Preacher
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Description
Audio Transcript Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’ It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; […]
The Woman Who Loved to Give Books
Susannah Spurgeon
Description
Audio Transcript Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’ It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; […]
The Man Who Preached Outside
George Whitefield
Description
Audio Transcript Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’ It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; […]
The Woman Who Helped a Reformer
Katharina Luther
Description
Audio Transcript Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’ It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; […]
Banner Board Books Set
4 Volume Set
Description
Audio Transcript Parents ask me, ‘What was the idea behind biographies for toddlers?’ It’s a different concept, and there aren’t many out there — but there are dozens of little people in my family. One day a brother-in-law commented, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have something for small kids that introduced them to church history; […]
Latest Articles
13 Reasons to Read Lloyd-Jones on Romans 13 October 7, 2025
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), or ‘the Doctor’ of Westminster Chapel, was known for the clarity of his thought, the thoroughness of his exposition of Scripture, and the living vitality of his application of the Bible to the lives of his hearers. His treatment of Romans 13:1-7 exemplifies these qualities. To commend this teaching, which is […]
‘This Itching After Investigation’: Calvin’s Concern for Lelio Sozzini September 9, 2025
John Calvin was a prolific correspondent. He wrote to civil rulers and dignitaries, to fellow reformers, and even to figures who would later stray from the path of orthodox biblical faith. One such man was the Italian Lelio Sozzini[mfn]He was sometimes known by the Latin denomination, Laelius Socinus[/mfn] (1525–1562) who would, together with his nephew […]