Favorite Orthodox Kids Books for Pascha
There are a plethora of wonderful books on the market today for children to better understand our Orthodox Faith. Every year at Pascha, we gift our children a new book to add to our collection - usually surrounding the theme of the season. So for example, at Pascha, they get a Paschal themed book. It is a sustainable way for me to add to our family collection since books are my weakness, especially when it comes to good Orthodox books! We have collected quite a few over the past few years, so I wanted to compile a list of some of our favorites. This is not a complete or comprehensive list. There are others out there, but these are the ones we have read and loved! I’ve also added the age range that I think is appropriate to introduce it, but of course most of these books can be read aloud on the laps of mom and dad and would be perfectly suited for the whole family.
Holy Week and Pascha
by J. Euphemia Briere, published by St Nectarios Press
This book is a gem! This book takes us through the period in the life of Christ from the raising of Lazarus to the Resurrection, as reflected in the Divine Services of the Holy Orthodox Church during Holy Week. Each service is simply explained, with beautiful icons and illustrations in full color, this book is a treasure for Christians of all ages. At the end of the book it includes the Resurrection Hymn in Greek, English and Slavonic set to Byzantine Chant in western notation. Given the amount of words on each page, I would recommend it for 5+ for a read aloud book for the sake of attention spans, and 10+ for independent readers. Although it is a picture book, it would appeal to a teenager reader as well. We absolutely love this book and store it in our Church bag during Holy Week to refer to it before the services during Holy Week.
This book was published originally in 2007 so you can find used copies circulating, but the publisher also has some available in stock. You can find it here.
Here is a peek inside the book:
The Miracle of the Red Egg
by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson, illustrated by Daria Fisher, Published by Ancient Faith Publishing
Ever wonder why we dye red eggs for Pascha? Well, this is the story about why Orthodox Christians dye eggs red for Pascha. Here is the story of how this tradition started - way back in the apostolic times, with Mary Magdalene and a blessed miracle that dazzled the unbelieving Roman Emperor with the reality and power of Christ’s Resurrection. Given the amount of words on each page, I would recommend it for 3+ for a read aloud book for the sake of attention spans, and 7+ for independent readers. It is 28 pages, beautifully illustrated and available in hardcover.
You can find a copy of this book through Ancient Faith Publishing here and through other Orthodox Online shops.
Here is a peek inside the book:
Heaven Meets Earth : Celebrating Pascha and the Twelve Feasts
by John Kosmas Skinas, Published by Ancient Faith Publishing
This is my favorite book to recommend as I think every home library should own a copy! What I love about this book is it includes information not only about Pascha, but it includes the 12 Great Feasts we celebrate throughout the Church Calendar every year. Starting with the Nativity of the Theotokos (Sep 8), we journey through each of the major feasts learning the stories behind each feast, plus the hymns we sing, various traditions, Old and New Testament scriptures, explanations of the festal icon, and quotes from the Fathers. It’s a wonderful companion as we journey through the liturgical calendar year after year, deepening our faith one feast at a time. Given the amount of words on each page, I would recommend it for 3+ for a read aloud book for the sake of attention spans, and 7+ for independent readers. I know many adults (who have no small children) who have purchased this book for their own reference! Great for homeschoolers, Church School, and anyone who wants to know more about our Great Feasts. It is 68 pages and available in hardback.
You can find a copy of this book through Ancient Faith Publishing here and through other Orthodox Online shops.
Here is a peek inside the book:
The Light
by Presvytera Angela Alatzakis, published by The Orthodox Children’s Press
This is a brand new book that just hit the market in 2022. This is my children’s Pascha book this year, so I’m excited to review this new book. The story begins in the evening of Holy Saturday with a family (like yours) walking into the church on Pascha night. We journey through the various memorable parts of the service, including lighting our candle and processing outside, reading the gospel, and returning to the brightly lit church as we sing together, “Christ is Risen!” What I like about this story is it not only prepares the reader for what to expect in the Paschal service (or helps us remember what we experienced), but it also highlights a special tradition of taking the Paschal light home with us and keeping that light lit in our own home. It also highlights that it’s not only our home that does this, but this tradition is done in homes all over the world! The book is written with a young reader in mind, as there are very few words on each page. I would recommend this is a book for 6 months+ (although it is paperback so it would have to be a read aloud with mom and dad), and most independent readers can easily read it! Much like other books from this press, the illustrations are very simple, monochromatic, and appeal to young readers.
You can find a copy of this book on Amazon here.
Here is a peek inside the book:
Pascha at the Duckpond
by Mother Melania, Illustrated by Khouria Cayce Halsell, and published by Holy Assumption Monastery
This book is an annual favorite because the main characters are animals as they journey through Great Lent towards Pascha. Along with them, we learn that Lent is not about the rules, but about allowing God to change our hearts through love and repentance. The story is relatable (for children and adults) and has spurred on fruitful discussion in our family each time we read it. It is available in paperback and given the content, I would recommend this for 3-1/2 to 9 years old and 5+ for independent readers.
You can purchase it directly from the Monastery here and from other Orthodox stores online.
Here is a peek inside the book:
The Mystery of the Holy Light
by Anna Iakovou, illustrated by Spyros Gousis, Published by Newrome Press
Have you ever heard of the Miracle of the Holy Light that occures at the Holy Seplucher in Jerusalem? Well if you have (or have not), you would find this book to be a very fascinating read! Since ancient times, a glorious miracle has taken place each year at the Church of the All-Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The miracle is called the Holy Light, and it occurs on Great Saturday of Holy Week, when it is received solely by the Patriarch of Jerusalem—and then shared with a multitude of Orthodox pilgrims! This book tells the true story of how, in 1926, a young monk named Father Mitrophanes came to witness the mystery of the Holy Light with his own eyes! Learn the dramatic story behind this event, what the monk saw, and other incredible details about the site of our Lord's burial. Given the amount of words on each page and historical content, I would suggest this book is a read aloud book for 7+ and independent readers 10+. Although it is a picture book, I know teens would find this to be a fascinating read as well since it shares the historical parts of this tradition/miracle in an engaging narrative. The illustrations are also beautiful and capture the attention of the reader. This book is BRAND NEW, published in 2022.
You can find this book through the publisher at Newrome Press here.
Here is a peek inside the book:
The Life of Christ in Icons
translated by Caroline Makropoulos, published by Athos Children’s Books
I hesitate to mention this one since it is challenging to find copies of them **But I did find a source shipping them from Greece (see below). We found our copy years ago at our Church Bookstore. Occasionally Ancient Faith will stock this one (and the two others in the series: The Mother of God in Icons, The Birth of Christ in Icons), but unfortunately they are hard to come by. What I love about this book is it is suitable for little ones under 2 because it is a squishy hard back board book, and the illustrations are byzantine inspired iconography. The explanations are simple, and the story journeys through the birth of Christ, and goes through the important events of his life including his baptism, transfiguration, entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the last supper, his betrayal, his walk to Calvary holding his cross, his Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost. We tuck this in our church bag for any major feast for the little ones to enjoy and compare the icon in the book to the one they see in the Church. Such a wonderful reason, and I hope they bring it back into print again! If you find a copy in your local churches, grab one! I would recommended this book for 1+ and independent readers 5+.
You can purchase a copy from a shop which is shipping from Greece here.
Here is a peek inside the book:
Additional Paschal Themed Resources
Potamitis Press Coloring Books for Lent and Holy Week
I absolutely LOVE everything Potamitis Press creates, so you’ll hear me mentioning them a lot in my various blogposts. Not only are they good materials, but they are very reasonably priced and shipping is usually FREE and FAST! This year, I purchased some new coloring books for Holy Week for my kids to include in their Church Bag. Holy Week is a special week and we try to attend as many services as possible. That being said, having new coloring books and crayons goes a long way! They have over 52 different coloring books to choose from, which would make for a great (and inexpensive) addition to any child’s Pascha basket. As you can see from the photo above, I bought my 2 year old the “My First Coloring Book: Holy Week” so he won’t feel left out, and it was less than $2. Two features that I want to highlight about these coloring books is they include a small colorful version of the icon (at the top) so that the child can copy the colors to match the icons (if they choose to). My girls especially love this feature, as my 6 year old aspires to be an iconographer. One more feature that makes these coloring books unique is they include a full page colorful poster and sticker sheet (removable) in each book!
You can purchase these and other Holy Week and Paschal themed books on their website here.
Here is a peek inside the coloring books:
Beautiful Pascha Coloring Book
by Khouria Megan Elizabeth Gilbert published by Ancient Faith Publishing
These were in my kids Pascha baskets last year and they absolutely LOVED them. One nice feature of this coloring book (and others in this coloring book series - Beautiful Christmas, Beautiful Things) is that the pages are perforated so they can easily be torn out of the book to be given away or displayed. There are 64 pages in this book, so it’s a hefty size that will offer hours of coloring. The illustrations travel through the Lenten season, from Zacchaeus Sunday through Great Lent all the way to Pascha and Bright Week while coloring! It’s illustrated for children aged 5-12. This makes for a great addition for Holy Week or a child’s Pascha basket!
You can purchase it through Ancient Faith Publishing here.
Here is a peek inside the coloring books:
Additional Potamitis Press Books
If you are unfamiliar with the Paterikon for Kids series, let me introduce you! It is a series of over 116 (and growing) saint stories for kids. These are an incredible resource for homes and Churches to have on hand. We have a small collection of about 20 book and we add to them each year. These are small pocket-sized books about the lives of the saints and are about 8-10 pages each. They are simple enough for children to read and listen to, and they will spark their interest to learn more about the lives of the saints. They have also compiled these stories into a 12 part series called “My Synaxarion : A Saint for Everyday” for each month of the year. My kids absolutely love flipping through these books (we don’t own them yet but they are in our Church bookstore and those are the books my kids always grab to look at when we are there). I definitely recommend those books as well! Our church has the complete collection and display box which they use as a lending library for our children during services, which is where my children are exposed to these book. I would recommend for children 2+ (flipping through the pictures) and 4+ for read alouds with mom and dad. They are about $4 each which is an incredible price!
You can purchase the Paterikon for Kids small books on their website here, and you can find the My Synaxarion series here. My First Book for Holy Week
Here is a peek inside the Pocket Paterikon for kids books:
DIY Pascha Fabric Learning Set by Orthodox Pebbles
We are huge fan of all of Orthodox Pebbles resources. This particular set, the Pascha Fabric Learning Set, holds a special place in my heart because it was their first fabric set ever produced several years ago. All of my babies have used this set (ours pictured is the original design - it’s been improved slightly since then). I always bring this set with us to Church on Holy Thursday/Friday/Saturday so the kids can quickly play along with what they are seeing in the services. This set features the Crucifixion along with the burial of Christ, as we see it in the scriptures (cave/cloth wrappings) AND what they will see liturgically with the embroidered cloth of Christ laying on the beautifully adored funeral bier. If you don’t have any of the Fabric Learning sets by Orthodox Pebbles, I’d add this one to your wishlist!
You can purchase this set and other sets like it through Draw Near Designs here.
What I like about the DIY Pascha Fabric Learning Set is they are made of soft fabric that cling to whatever fabric is behind in, they are quite activities, and they pack up easily in a designated pouch for easy travel. *Ours is the original design, so the newest sets are slightly different looking
Holy Week Craft Kit by Orthodox Pebbles
If you are motivated to dive into Holy Week with some hands-on projects for your kids, THIS is the set for you! Orthodox Pebbles does it again with an incredible resource to help our kids better understand the Passion of Christ leading up to his Death and Resurrection. We were fortunate enough to pilot the first set a few years ago and I do not exaggerate when I say my kids LOVED IT. I don’t do as many crafts with the kids as I’d like, but what’s wonderful about this set is it is all printed/packaged and ready to go for an easy activity. The kit contains beautiful printed templates for each day of the Holy Week, from Lazarus Saturday to Pascha Sunday (a total of 10 crafts). For $19.95 for the whole kit (that’s $2 an activity), this is an incredible price for this resource.
You can purchase this set and other sets like it through Draw Near Designs here.
There are still a few honorable mentions that didn’t make it on this list. Two that are apart of our collection that we do pull out during this season. I chose not to do a full review on these, but I will link them below for your reference.
Honorable Mentions
As I mentioned in the introduction, this is not a complete comprehensive list. There are others out books out there, I’m sure, but these are the ones we have read and loved! If you have some suggestions for books to add to this list, I would love for you to add them below as a comment for me to review! I pray this list is useful to you in finding good quality Orthodox books to add to your family (or Church) collection. May the Lord bless you as you are raising children in the Orthodox faith!