Ultimate List of Picture Books for Catholic Families

I’m sure you know the value of reading aloud with your children. Even if you’re tired of reading Goodnight Moon for the 100th time, these moments with your children are precious.

We’ve amassed quite a library of children’s books over the years. Nowdays, I’m working on building my stash of Catholic picture books. I want to teach my children our Faith, introducing them to the stories of saints and sacred Scripture in a way they can understand.

Take a look at these books — some are our favorites, some are recommended by friends, and others are on our wish list for gifts.

You’ll find the list arranged by months of the year, feast days and topic for easier reference.

Catholic Picture Books – January

Mary, Mother of God:
Mary, the Mother of God
Mary
The Life of Mary

Epiphany:
The Last Straw
Little Drummer Boy

You’ll want to bookmark these ideas for Epiphany activities and crafts, too.

St Felix:
Saint Felix and the Spider

Catholic Picture Books – February

St Brigid:
Brigid’s Cloak
The Life of Saint Brigid: Abbess of Kildare

St Scholastica:

The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica

St Caedmon:
Caedmon’s Song

St Modmnoc:
The Saint and His Bees

St Valentine:
Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine

Catholic Picture Books – March

St Ciaran:
Saint Ciaran: The Tale of a Saint of Ireland

St Patrick:
Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland
Patrick: Saint of Ireland
The Life of St. Patrick: Enlightener of the Irish

St Joseph:
Father and Son
Song of the Swallow

St Cuthbert:
The Ravens of Farne: A Tale of Saint Cuthbert

Catholic Picture Books – April

St Bernadette:
Bernadette – The Little Girl from Lourdes

St George:
Saint George and the Dragon
St. George
Saint George and the Dragon

Catholic Picture Books – May

St Pascual:
Pascual and the Kitchen Angels

St Brendan:
Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus

St Joan of Arc:
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc – Demi

Catholic Picture Books – June

St Kevin:
The Blackbird’s Nest: Saint Kevin of Ireland

St Josemaria Escriva:
Yes! The Life of Blessed Josemaria for Young Readers

St. Columba:
Man Who Loved Books
Across A Dark and Wild Sea

St Benedict:
The Holy Twins Benedict and Scholastica
The Life of Saint Benedict

St Christopher:
St Christopher: First Book for Little Catholics
Christopher The Holy Giant
The Legend of St Christopher

Catholic Picture Books – August

St John Vianney:
John Marie Vianney: The Holy Cure of Ars

St Tekla:
A Saint and His Lion: The Story of Tekla of Ethiopia

Catholic Picture Books – September

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:
Mother Teresa

St Wenceslas:
Good King Wenceslas
Stephen’s Feast
Good King Wenceslas
The Eternal Christmas Story

St Jerome:
St. Jerome and the Lion

St Joseph of Cupertino:
The Little Friar Who Flew (St. Joseph of Cupertino)

St Sergius:
The Wonderful Life of Saint Sergius of Radonezh

St Peter Claver:
Peter Claver, Patron Saint of Slaves

Catholic Picture Books – October

St Jude:
Saint Jude: A Friend in Hard Times

St Pope John Paul II:
Lolek – The Boy Who Became Pope John Paul II

St Therese of Lisieux
St Therese: A First Book for Little Catholics
Therese: The Little Flower of Lisieux

Feast of the Guardian Angels:
Angels,Angels Everywhere
My First Angels
Angel of God, What’s your name?
My Guardian Dear

St Francis:
Saint Francis
Francis the Poor Man of Assisi
Song of Francis
Saint Francis and the Nativity

Francis The Poor Man of Assisi (Life of a Saint)

Clare and Francis
Saint Francis of Assisi: A Life of Joy
Francis Woke Up Early
St. Francis and the Proud Crow
Wolf of Gubbio

Saint Francis of Assisi
Canticle of the Sun: Saint Francis of Assisi
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
The Good Man of Assisi
Saint Francis

A Gift From St Francis

St Kendreas:
Under the Grapevine

Catholic Picture Books – November

All Souls Day:
Father Phillip Tells a Ghost Story
The Spirit of Tio Fernando

St Martin de Porres:
Saint Martin De Porres and the Mice
The Pied Piper of Peru
Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert
Martin’s Mice

St Elizabeth of Hungary:
Roses in the Snow: A Tale of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Catholic Picture Books – December

St Nicholas:
Country Angel Christmas
The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale
The Legend of Saint Nicholas
The Real Santa Claus: Legends of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend
A Special Place for Santa: A Legend for Our Time

Our Lady of Guadalupe:
The Lady of Guadalupe
The Legend of the Poinsettia
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Don’t miss these ideas for more books, crafts and recipes to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Catholic Picture Books: Board Books

Have little ones who don’t treat picture books nicely? Never fear. These board books will be perfect for storytime or to take to Mass.

The Saving Name of God the Son
Baby, Come to Church!

Catholic Picture Books: Learning About Monks and Monasticism

In our family, my children are only familiar with our parish priests. We’ve not visited a monestary, so we read these picture books about these holy men who serve our Church.

Brother Joseph:The Painter of Icons
Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove
The Monk Who Grew Prayer
The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane
Brother Juniper

Catholic Picture Books about the Mass and the Sacraments

Taking my children to Mass can certainly be a challenge. By reading these books, I’m teaching my children the importance of Mass, what goes on, how I expect them to participate and more.

Little Acts of Grace
The Weight of a Mass
A Peek into My Church
Jesus Speaks to Me about the Mass
The Mass Book for Children
First Holy Communion

Catholic Picture Books : Saint Collections

Didn’t find one of your favorite saints listed by month? These collections house some of the best known Catholic saints, as well as ones that are more obscure.

An Alphabet of Catholic Saints
Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls
Saints for Boys: A First Book for Little Catholic Boys
Lives and Legends of the Saints
Saints: Lives and Illuminations
More Saints:Lives and Illuminations

Need more ideas? You’ll want to explore this list of Catholic saints books for children.

Catholic Picture Books – Bible Stories (Old Testament)

We use the Golden Children’s Bible for studying in our homeschool curriculum, along with the Catholic Children’s Bible. For some of our favorite stories, we pull out picture books of the Bible stories.

These are also great for taking to Mass.

Creation
Paradise
Noah’s Ark
Noah’s Ark
The Tower of Babel

Exodus
Sarah Laughs
Moses: The Long Road to Freedom
Moses
The Angel and the Donkey

Jonah and the Whale
The Story of Ruth
The Story of the Call of Samuel
Jacob and Esau
Joseph

Benjamin and the Silver Goblet
The Coat of Many Colors
David and Goliath
The Wisest Man in the World
Kings and Queens of the Bible

Queen Esther Saves Her People
The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale
Daniel and the Lord of Lions
The Lord is My Shepherd
To Every Thing There Is A Season

Catholic Picture Books: The Life of Jesus

Want some Catholic picture books focused on the life of Jesus? These look like the perfect addition to your collection.

The Nativity
Jesus
The Miracles of Jesus
The Parables of Jesus

I’m sure I’ve missed at least one of your favorite Catholic picture books – drop me a message in the comments, and I’ll add it into this list.