Published by Crossway on February 17, 2026
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories, Easter
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10 Beautiful Poems by Hymn Writer Matthew Boswell Walk Children Through Well-Known and Less Familiar Days of Holy Week
While sharing the Easter story with children, it’s easy to rush from the pain of Good Friday to the victory of the empty tomb. But each day leading up to Jesus’s resurrection holds special meaning. On the road to the cross, the Savior taught, prayed, and fulfilled many Old Testament promises. Retelling these stories through 10 poems for kids, Matthew Boswell displays the beauty of Holy Week day by day.
This illustrated book includes short, memorable rhymes about Holy Week, with individual poems dedicated to Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday. Descriptive and memorable, each retelling helps kids picture the timeline of the Easter story. Along with poetry, Boswell briefly summarizes the biblical significance of each day. Kids will love reading and reciting this fun book as they learn more about Jesus’s life, ministry, and sacrifice.
- Illustrated Rhyming Book for Easter: Beautifully crafted poems explain the significance of each day of Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday
- Written by Matthew Boswell: Respected pastor and hymn writer
- Additional Resources: Includes a note to parents, along with brief summaries of Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday
- A Great Holiday Gift for Ages 5–10: Fun rhymes encourage biblical literacy and family discipleship
Most Easter resources for kids focus on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, without all of the context and lead-up that are part of the biblical story. This new picture book covers all of Holy Week, going through the final days of Jesus’s life before his sacrifice and resurrection. Matthew Boswell, a pastor, professor, and hymn-writer, wrote this book to help parents teach their kids about the narrative of salvation. This book is simple and age-appropriate for kids, while also being theologically deep and artistically beautiful.
Boswell wrote a poem about Holy Week, with a different stanza for each day. Each stanza appears on a richly illustrated double page spread. The artwork from Helena Perez Garcia is beautiful and helps set the mood, and the pictures and poem both recount the gospel story. Once children are familiar with the story, they can tell it to themselves while looking at the pictures, even if they can’t yet read the words.
That Holy Week So Long Ago: The Seven Days That Led to Easter is a high-quality picture book that will delight Christian families. The poem conveys the story of salvation in a clear and artistic way, and the rhythmic text is perfect for reading aloud. The illustrations are vivid and memorable, and even the endpapers are lovely. This book is a wonderful choice for Christian families and church settings, and I highly recommend it.
