The Parables of Jesus (Paperback) by Tyler Van Halteren

From the author and illustrator of The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook comes a fully illustrated and faithful retelling of 26 parables of Jesus in a beautiful cloth-bound hardcover book.

Written with ages 4 to 12 in mind, The Parables of Jesus aims to lead families deeper into the heart of Jesus' teaching. Covering well-known parables like the Good Samaritan and lesser-known tales like the Dishonest Manager, these short stories provide an engaging way for children to learn surprising truths about Jesus and his coming kingdom.

What others are saying about the book:

"This is a book every Christian parent will want to have on their family's bookshelf. Vibrantly illustrated, clearly written, The Parables of Jesus will help young kids better understand and remember Jesus’s teachings about the kingdom of God. Whether for bedtime lap reading or mealtime devotionals, make this book a staple of your family’s reading life."

—Brett McCracken, senior editor at The Gospel Coalition and author of The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World

"The Parables of Jesus, by Tyler Van Halteren with Aleksander Jasinski, is a thoughtfully designed, well crafted, and illuminatingly illustrated retelling of 26 parables that were told by Jesus in the Gospels. Written with children in mind, the book will be helpful for all family members to think deeply about the meaning of Jesus' kingdom teaching for today. Each section of the book concludes with reflective summaries and engaging and applicable questions. I am delighted to recommend this beautifully bound book, which will make a great gift for special occasions. I plan to purchase copies for my grandchildren and strongly urge others to do the same."

—David S. Dockery, President and Distinguished Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; President, International Alliance for Christian Education

“'Biblically faithful and beautifully crafted’ nicely summarizes this wonderful children’s book on parables. Learning to see parables as doors, windows and mirrors offers an important framework for beginning to interpret the parables. Even more so than is highlighted here, many of Jesus’ parables function in two or all three of these ways. But a real strength of the book is that it contains the complete text of Jesus’ amazing stories, so readers will first of all learn what he actually said. I’ll be ordering copies for my grandchildren!”

—Craig L. Blomberg, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Denver Seminary

"This book is a joyful invitation to sit and listen to the greatest storyteller of all time—Jesus Christ. In these faithful and engaging retellings of The Parables of Jesus, Tyler Van Halteren and the team at Lithos Kids have given families a wonderful gift. May we all have ears to hear!"

—Scott James, author of The Sower, The Littlest Watchman, The Expected One, and Where Is Wisdom?

Title

The Parables of Jesus
Author(s)

Tyler Van Halteren
Series

Parables of Jesus
ISBN

POJ-HARDCOVER
Format

Paperback
Publisher

Lithos Kids
Age Range

4-7s, 8-11s
Audience

Children
Pages

179
Published

01/05/2025

Tyler Van Halteren

Tyler Van Halteren holds an M.Div from The Master’s Seminary and has devoted much of his life to inspiring children and youth to follow Christ and engage deeply with God’s Word. After witnessing the powerful impact of 20-minute bedtime stories on his own son, he felt called to create biblically faithful, beautifully illustrated books that could help shape hearts and minds for Christ.

A native of Canada, Tyler previously served as Associate Pastor at Gorrie Bible Fellowship and later as a professor at Phnom Penh Bible School in Cambodia until 2022. Now living in southern Ontario with his growing young family, he founded Lithos Kids in 2020. That same year, he launched his first book, Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey, on Kickstarter, reaching 500% of its funding goal.

See other titles by this author

Overall rating

5.0 based on 3 reviews

An excellent addition to any family’s collection of Christian literature.

Lithos Kids, the publisher renowned for delightful family-oriented Christian books like Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey and The Kingdom of God series, brings us yet another treasure—The Parables of Jesus. This beautifully crafted volume, written by Tyler Van Halteren and illustrated by Aleksander Jasinski, is a faithful retelling of 26 of Jesus’ parables. Written with ages 4 to 12 in mind, the book not only seeks to engage young minds but also to draw families closer to the core teachings of Jesus.

Like other Lithos Kids books, The Parables of Jesus stands out for its exceptional quality and thoughtful design. The durable cloth-bound cover with gold foil designs, a ribbon marker, and smyth-sewn binding make it a sturdy companion for frequent use. This kind of heirloom-quality craftsmanship is ideal for our enthusiastic little readers and the whole family’s use for years to come.

The book is divided into 10 thematic chapters, each concluding with questions and reflections that promote discussion and deeper understanding. This setup is particularly useful for parents and children to engage in meaningful conversations about the lessons and insights offered by the parables. Each parable is accompanied by scripture references, providing a direct link to the biblical text and encouraging further reading of the scriptures. Tyler Van Halteren’s storytelling is both faithful to the Bible and accessible to young readers. The parables, ranging from the well-known Good Samaritan to the lesser-discussed Dishonest Manager, are retold in a manner that is easy for children to understand while preserving the depth and essence of Jesus’ teachings. This balance of simplicity and faithfulness to scripture is what I love most about this book.

Aleksander Jasinski’s illustrations complement the text beautifully. His artwork is vibrant and engaging, and will surely capture the attention of children to explore the visual narratives that accompany each parable. The illustrations are not only aesthetically pleasing but also serve as a visual aid in helping young readers grasp the meanings and messages of the parables.

Final thoughts

The Parables of Jesus by Lithos Kids is an excellent addition to any family’s collection of Christian literature. It is perfect for nightly Bible readings, Sunday school lessons, or simply as a tool for teaching children about the core messages of Jesus’ parables. Highly recommended!

Marc Daniel Rivera

The Parables of Jesus

Lithos Kids are the trustworthy creators of the “Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey” books, a great series of books that conveys the astounding truths of Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” to little ones. Now they published another wonderful title, and I am so excited about it. I love the parables of Jesus and find it so cool to have a book for children with so many of his parables. The book contains a total of 26 parables and there were written for children ranging from 4 all the way up to 12. They even include lesser known parables (unfortunately, many children’s Bibles do not even include the parables of Jesus!)

I love this part from the introduction:

“Some parables are like doors. They invite the listener to enter in and find true life in the kingdom of God.
Other parables are like windows. They give us a glimpse into what the kingdom of God is like.
Other parables are like mirrors. They reflect back to the listener the condition of their heart and need for change.”

Anna Symonds @fillyourhousewithbooks

We adore this heirloom book!

The Parables of Jesus from @lithoskids which is a stunning heirloom quality book, is both wonderfully accessible, yet theologically sound. 🙌

The illustrations are captivating and the questions (at the end of each section) stimulate wonderful discussion. Both my 4 and 7 year old engage well with these and always ask to read more - as they say… the proof is in the pudding 😊

✨ My favourite part of this book though, is that it not only covers the well known parables, like the lost sheep and lost coin, but also the lesser known ones, such as the treasure and the pearl and the ten women. As we know all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, then it should be, and is, for children too, so I really appreciate having these storybook illustrated versions of the lesser covered ones too 🙌 (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

All in all, we adore this heirloom book and look forward to being able to sample more of @lithoskids work ♥️

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