Holy Week is a very special season and a great opportunity for families to grow closer to Jesus. 

Reading picture books aloud is a wonderful way to captivate their hearts and gently introduce their minds into the mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord. 

How to Teach Children about Holy Week

Talking about Jesus’ suffering to our children may feel like a daunting task, especially when they are little. Suffering can feel overwhelming and, as parents, we may hesitate about what is the best way (and age) to explain to them what Our Lord went through from the garden in Gethsemani to His crucifixion in the Golgotha.

Presenting the Gospel in a story-telling mode helps children developing brains understand events a little more. 

Additionally, introducing segments of Holy Week through picture storybooks actually helps them see the Week as a whole event, while it gives them time to focus on specific moments of the season, one at the time.

Catholic Children’s Picture Books for Holy Week

Here is a list of our favorite Catholic picture books for Holy Week:

Palm Sunday 

Parable of the Good Samaritan written and illustrated by Helen Caswell

A recount of the Bible story where a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho falls in the hands of robbers and is lovingly helped and cured by a Samaritan.

Monday 

The Tale of Three Trees: A traditional folk tale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

This enchanting American folk tale gives children a closer look at Christ’s life and his sacrifice in the cross through beautiful illustrations. 

Tuesday 

King of the Shattered Glass by Susan Joy Bellavance

The inspiring story of a girl who works for a King and repeatedly breaks King’s precious glass. As she approaches the King to tell him, knowing she might be punished, she encounters the precious gift of His loving mercy.

Spy Wednesday

The Coat of Many Colors by Jenny Koralek and Pauline Baynes

The well-known story of Joseph from the book of Genesis is retold in this book with the help of narration and dialogs. Its beautiful illustrations evoke ancient Egyptian art. 

Holy Thursday

Exodus by Brian Wildsmith

Through vivid illustrations, this book walks us through the most remarkable moments of Moses' story: how he led his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Good Friday

The Thief who Stole Heaven by Raymond Arroyo

The author takes us on a journey with Mary and Joseph as they cross roads with the good thief, Dismas.

Holy Saturday

The End of the Fiery Sword by Maura Roan McKeegan

In this book children are introduced to the fascinating connection between the Old and New Testament as they learn what Adam & Jesus, Eva & Mary have in common.

Easter Sunday

Petook The Roaster Who Met Jesus by Caryll Houselander and Tomie de Paola

A lovely story with beautiful illustrations about a roaster that once found Jesus as a child and years after crosses paths with Him again in the Calvary hill.

Celebrating Holy Week with Kids

Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to ignite the hearts of our little ones through the time we spend with them, our family devotions and these beautiful books.

Remember that we are our children's first influencers. Our faith and the reverence with which we approach Mass and the sacraments will always be a light on their journey as they grow older. 

Don’t worry if this Holy Week is not perfect. We are building cathedrals, one stone at the time. 

If you have older children, we have a forthcoming Holy Week Catholic Picture Study that will help you to pray together as a family. Through sacred art and Scripture, you will walk together to Jesus Sacred Heart to get deeper into His Passion, His immense and perfect sacrifice in the Cross and His joyous Resurrection.

What are your favorite picture books for this liturgical season? Let us know in the comments. 

Ready to dive deeper? 

Here are 4 ways to fill your nets... 

 1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses

 2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how.

 3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you.

 4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!