Archbishop joins forces with Mary Berry and Bear Grylls to bring the Bible to children

The Archbishop of Canterbury has teamed up with Bear Grylls, Mary Berry, Gemma Hunt, Joanna Adeyinka-Burford and the Cheeky Pandas to bring the award-winning Jesus Storybook Bible to life onscreen.

The Jesus Storybook Bible, written and illustrated by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago, has sold over 6 million copies, helping children across the world discover the good news of Jesus Christ and God’s love for them. In its new onscreen format, six Bible stories - from the Feeding of the 5000 to David and Goliath - are read aloud, following an introduction from the Cheeky Pandas, an animated series for children. Featuring contributions from Bear Grylls and Mary Berry, as well as CBeebies presenters Gemma and Joanne, will help ensure it is enjoyed by people of all ages, many of whom might be discovering the Bible for the first time.

This collaboration comes after a survey by Care for the Family found that despite 95% of Christian parents recognising the importance of teaching children about their faith, fewer than three-quarters shared Bible stories with them, and only 27% engaged in faith-based conversations.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby

Welcoming the six-part online series, Archbishop Justin said: “We all love stories. They remind us who we are, what we are here for and how best to live. Jesus loved telling stories. They tell us who God is, how much he loves us and what his plans are for us. The stories of God are told in the Bible. To open the Bible is to open up to God’s voice. We are never too old or too young to hear about God’s story. I am beyond delighted about this project. Sally Lloyd Jones wrote the peerless Jesus Story Book Bible to engage children in these stories of God which make us. Six of them have been recorded by friends of mine. From Bear Grylls reading the story of David and Goliath, to Mary Berry telling of Jesus feeding the 5000, my prayer is that they are watched and listened to far and wide. These stories are for children to listen to and watch with their parents at home, their teachers at school, their friends in after school clubs and on their own, anywhere and everywhere. And what I know will happen is that, as we listen to these stories, we will find ourselves invited to be an essential part of God’s story. And there is nowhere better to be than part of His story."

TV Presenter and author Gemma Hunt, who tells the story of Jesus calming the storm in the series, said: “It has been such a delight to be a part of this wonderful project. Reading the stunning scripture in the Jesus Storybook Bible has really brought the stories to life again in a new way. It is such an honour to have read them aloud, which is how they were intended to be heard; I hope our versions inspire families to read them together and share in the precious Word of God.”

The six episodes are freely available to watch online, with additional resources including free activity packs, assembly plans, British Sign Language (BSL) episodes, and widget packs tailored for neurodivergent children. This comprehensive approach aims to empower and equip parents to have accessible, faith-based conversations with their children.

Each episode comes with a free downloadable activity pack, widget packs for neurodivergent children, and a BSL-enhanced version. Resources at cheekypandas.com/jsbb and watch at YouTube.com/cheekypandasTV