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The story of Ruth is the story of great faithfulness in the midst of hardship. Your kids will be entertained and inspired by this powerful Bible figure. This story is written especially for eight to twelve year olds and features action-packed illustrations on every other page. It makes an excellent resource for Sunday school classes, Christian and home schools, long rainy days, or extended car rides. The Chronicles of Faith series is the wholesome entertainment kids need. Your kids will love all six stories about the lives of key Bible characters like Jesus, Joseph, and Elijah.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Kjersti Hoff Báez
14 books5 followersKJERSTI HOFF BAEZ is a native of New York. She is a wife and mother, who enjoys writing in her spare time. She writes romance and children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 27, 2026
Ruth was born in the land of Moab, but married a Judahite named Mahlon who had come to live there with his family. The marriage was childless but happy, and Ruth became especially attached to her mother-in-law Naomi, who’d become widowed some years before. When both of Naomi’s sons died suddenly, the three widows were left in poverty. Naomi decided to head back to her hometown of Bethlehem, and while her other daughter-in-law Orpah reluctantly decided to stay in Moab, Ruth chose to go with the woman she’d become loyal to.
This children’s book is a novelization of the Book of Ruth from the Tanakh, and thus from the Bible. It’s in a format similar to the Big Little Books of my youth, squat and fat, with illustrations on every other page.
To continue the story, Ruth and Naomi travel with the caravan of Laban, a merchant, from Moab (currently absorbed into the Kingdom of Jordan) to Judea and the home of the Israelites. Once in Bethlehem, they are still little more than beggars, but benefit from the laws that allow the poor and alien to glean leftover grain from the field once the harvesters are through.
While Ruth faces prejudice as the people of Moab are considered enemies of the Israelites, her hard work and dedication to Naomi, and her conversion to worship of the Living God of the Israelites brings her to the favorable attention of Boaz, owner of the fields.
As it happens, Boaz is a relative of Mahlon, and thus eligible to “redeem” Ruth by marrying her, which will keep the ancestral property in the family and ensure that the memory of Naomi’s husband will not vanish from the land. There is a closer relative, but Boaz has fallen in love with Ruth and vice versa, so he makes the extra effort to bring her into his house.
Through this marriage, Ruth begets Obed, who begets Jesse, who begets David, who becomes king of the Israelites and the ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth.
This version of the story adds in a detailed account of the journey from Moab to Bethlehem, with various small incidents. Laban is the most complex character in the story, having faults (he is quick-tempered and is willing to worship the local gods, not just the One True God), and quarreling with Naomi, but also is brave, protective of Ruth, and a font of useful information.
While Jesus is only mentioned in the postscript, this version is very much from a Christian perspective and may feel off to Jewish readers.
Content note: Ethnic prejudice, to the point at least one person is willing to kill Ruth for her nationality. (This is part of a larger conversation within Scripture about whether strangers should be shunned or welcomed.) It’s mentioned that Rahab (from the Book of Joshua) was a prostitute, but not explained what that job entails. Mass murder as part of warfare is mentioned. If your kid is old enough to read the Bible on their own, this should not be too much for them.
This volume appears to be long out of print, though it was popular enough in its day to merit multiple printings with different covers. You might have some luck at a used bookstore that specializes in Christian fiction.
This children’s book is a novelization of the Book of Ruth from the Tanakh, and thus from the Bible. It’s in a format similar to the Big Little Books of my youth, squat and fat, with illustrations on every other page.
To continue the story, Ruth and Naomi travel with the caravan of Laban, a merchant, from Moab (currently absorbed into the Kingdom of Jordan) to Judea and the home of the Israelites. Once in Bethlehem, they are still little more than beggars, but benefit from the laws that allow the poor and alien to glean leftover grain from the field once the harvesters are through.
While Ruth faces prejudice as the people of Moab are considered enemies of the Israelites, her hard work and dedication to Naomi, and her conversion to worship of the Living God of the Israelites brings her to the favorable attention of Boaz, owner of the fields.
As it happens, Boaz is a relative of Mahlon, and thus eligible to “redeem” Ruth by marrying her, which will keep the ancestral property in the family and ensure that the memory of Naomi’s husband will not vanish from the land. There is a closer relative, but Boaz has fallen in love with Ruth and vice versa, so he makes the extra effort to bring her into his house.
Through this marriage, Ruth begets Obed, who begets Jesse, who begets David, who becomes king of the Israelites and the ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth.
This version of the story adds in a detailed account of the journey from Moab to Bethlehem, with various small incidents. Laban is the most complex character in the story, having faults (he is quick-tempered and is willing to worship the local gods, not just the One True God), and quarreling with Naomi, but also is brave, protective of Ruth, and a font of useful information.
While Jesus is only mentioned in the postscript, this version is very much from a Christian perspective and may feel off to Jewish readers.
Content note: Ethnic prejudice, to the point at least one person is willing to kill Ruth for her nationality. (This is part of a larger conversation within Scripture about whether strangers should be shunned or welcomed.) It’s mentioned that Rahab (from the Book of Joshua) was a prostitute, but not explained what that job entails. Mass murder as part of warfare is mentioned. If your kid is old enough to read the Bible on their own, this should not be too much for them.
This volume appears to be long out of print, though it was popular enough in its day to merit multiple printings with different covers. You might have some luck at a used bookstore that specializes in Christian fiction.
March 5, 2026
Mostly good!
Nitpicks:
1. Naomi (in this book) commands her daughters-in-law to come with her then changes her mind and lets them stay.
In the Bible, she tells them to stay.
I feel like this sets a VERY different vibe — like, in the Bible, Ruth comes out of love. In this book, she’s following a command.
2. Ruth tells her horrid mother who sends her to a terrifying pagan animal sacrificing lady.
Once again — it feels like she is running from home rather than choosing to stay out of love.
3. Lots of traumatic racism.
Many different characters use the phrase: “Go back to your own country!”
And threatened to kill her for being a different ethnicity than them.
One tries to kill her — picking up a stone to kill her — but is stopped by Laman.
4. Laman and Boaz rescue her, but the women — her horrid mother, terrifying pagan priestess, bratty and cruel Naomi, racist townswomen, monstrous worker ladies — the women are written to be hated.
Why are we writing books where women are to be hated… about a Woman in the Bible?
The pictures draw these women as visibly monstrous.
5. This book repeatedly points out that all the other women have black hair but Ruth has “Auburn” hair.
Uh… she’s Middle Eastern.
She had black hair.
And all the other men have curly black hair, but Boaz has “brown” hair.
Uh… he’s Jewish.
He has curly black hair.
So that feels really… awkward… that the main characters are described as physically… uh… white?? While all background characters are Middle Eastern.
Nitpicks:
1. Naomi (in this book) commands her daughters-in-law to come with her then changes her mind and lets them stay.
In the Bible, she tells them to stay.
I feel like this sets a VERY different vibe — like, in the Bible, Ruth comes out of love. In this book, she’s following a command.
2. Ruth tells her horrid mother who sends her to a terrifying pagan animal sacrificing lady.
Once again — it feels like she is running from home rather than choosing to stay out of love.
3. Lots of traumatic racism.
Many different characters use the phrase: “Go back to your own country!”
And threatened to kill her for being a different ethnicity than them.
One tries to kill her — picking up a stone to kill her — but is stopped by Laman.
4. Laman and Boaz rescue her, but the women — her horrid mother, terrifying pagan priestess, bratty and cruel Naomi, racist townswomen, monstrous worker ladies — the women are written to be hated.
Why are we writing books where women are to be hated… about a Woman in the Bible?
The pictures draw these women as visibly monstrous.
5. This book repeatedly points out that all the other women have black hair but Ruth has “Auburn” hair.
Uh… she’s Middle Eastern.
She had black hair.
And all the other men have curly black hair, but Boaz has “brown” hair.
Uh… he’s Jewish.
He has curly black hair.
So that feels really… awkward… that the main characters are described as physically… uh… white?? While all background characters are Middle Eastern.
October 27, 2019
So I fully admit that I am in no position to be reasonable in my critique of this book and that in retrospect I can see that some of the framing, specifically Ruth's repulsion to her homeland's religion was antipagan in ways that don't hold up. The story would have been better off having her lack of connection with her own born family and willingness to explore an unfamiliar place and religion for love be the focus rather than making her randomly repulsed by wise women and animal sacrifice only when the Moabite religion does it.
That said the emotional beats of this story were formative to me and my beginning to think of made family so I'm not going to be objective and I still think it was very good.
That said the emotional beats of this story were formative to me and my beginning to think of made family so I'm not going to be objective and I still think it was very good.
April 8, 2023
this was the story of Ruth and how her kindness and bond to her Mother-In-Law Naomi helped her to adjust to a new land and eventually found a second husband who she later had a son with..she was a Moabite women who married a Hebrew then he died and her mother in law and her moved back to Bethlehem where she goes to work in the fields they are poor and need food and soon Boaz takes notice of her and falls in love..good story
October 26, 2016
This is a beautiful story, imaginatively written on the life of Ruth.
November 30, 2008
This series is kind of a like a Great Illustrated Classics for Bible stories. This one was absolutely wonderful. It brought the story of Ruth to life without adding too many embellishments or changes to the real story. Our family absolutely enjoyed this.
August 6, 2008
A children's version of the biblical story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi
June 28, 2010
I think this one was my absolute favorite of all the Young Reader's Christian Library. A great retelling of the classic Bible story. :D
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews