There’s more out there than you might think. Orthodox publishers have been quietly building a solid collection of children’s books, prayer resources, and teaching materials over the past couple decades.
Ancient Faith Publishing carries the widest selection you’ll find from a single Orthodox source. Their kids’ catalog includes 101 Orthodox Saints and 102 Orthodox Saints, both illustrated books that introduce children to the lives of holy men and women from across Church history. They’ve also published A Child’s Guide to Confession, which walks kids through what happens in that mystery and why we do it. For the very young, there’s What Do You See at Liturgy?, a board book with bright pictures of chalices, icons, candles, and priests.
The Antiochian Village store (through antiochian.org) offers A Child’s Guide to the Divine Liturgy, a small illustrated book that color-codes different parts of the service so kids can follow along. It includes psalms, prayers, feast day icons, and a glossary of terms they’ll hear every Sunday. This one’s designed for ages two through ten, which means it grows with your child rather than getting outgrown in six months.
Potamitis Publishing has over 200 Orthodox children’s books in English. Their Paterikon for Kids series tells saint stories with maps, timelines, and portraits. Think Saint Olga of Alaska or The Holy Myrrhbearers. These aren’t dumbed-down versions. They’re real stories written so children can understand them. The publisher also makes board books like My Saints’ ABC and My First Orthodox Numbers for toddlers just learning to recognize letters.
For prayer, Ancient Faith has pocket-sized prayer books paired with explanations of the Divine Liturgy. There’s also Hear Me: A Prayer Book for Orthodox Young Adults, which works for older kids and teens who’ve outgrown the simpler stuff but aren’t quite ready for adult prayer books with all the rubrics and Church Slavonic.
Audio resources are harder to come by. Holy Cross Monastery sells recordings of prayers and chants that families can use at home, but there isn’t much in the way of Orthodox kids’ podcasts or music albums designed specifically for children. This is honestly a gap in what’s available. Your best bet is Ancient Faith Radio’s general programming, which older kids can listen to alongside adults.
What about Sunday school curricula? The search gets trickier here. Most parishes develop their own materials or adapt resources from various publishers. The books I’ve mentioned work well in a classroom setting. A Child’s Guide to the Divine Liturgy is basically a Sunday school textbook in disguise. But there isn’t a single standardized Antiochian curriculum you can download from the archdiocese website.
Here’s what I’d suggest if you’re just starting to build an Orthodox library for your kids. Get A Child’s Guide to the Divine Liturgy first. Your children need to understand what’s happening on Sunday morning, and this book does that job better than anything else I’ve seen. Then add one of the saints’ books, either from Ancient Faith or Potamitis. Kids need to know that holiness is real and that real people have lived it.
If your children are old enough to read on their own, the Paterikon for Kids series gives them something Orthodox to pick up instead of whatever’s trending on the school library shelf. And honestly? These books hold up. I’ve watched teenagers flip through them when they think no one’s looking.
One more thing. Don’t expect your kids to love every Orthodox book you hand them. Some will click, some won’t. That’s fine. The goal isn’t to force-feed them Orthodoxy through literature. It’s to make sure that when they reach for a book or ask a question about a saint, you’ve got something true and beautiful ready to offer them.
