Lee Child, one of the world's biggest-selling crime novelists, has revealed that a Bible picture book had a major impact on his writing – and that his popular fictional hero Jack Reacher is based on Goliath.

Child – who has sold more than 100 million books worldwide – told a radio interviewer that he came across the Old Testament story of David and Goliath in a children's scripture book when he was around four years old.

Speaking to the BBC's John Wilson, British-born Child described the deep impact on him of 'The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem,' one of a series produced by UK publisher Ladybird Books in the 1950s.

Child recalled: "I loved the pictures and I read the story. But Goliath was my favourite. I would read the book over and over again, daily, hoping that one day Goliath would win!

"Afterwards I realised, I liked the big guy rather than the little guy. I don't like the underdog apparently. In my head, Goliath would win – though he never did on the page, and the story never changed."

Child admitted "Jack Reacher is Goliath. My whole premise for the Reacher books is 'Can Goliath be the good guy – and can we find a way of making readers worried about him.'"

Reacher, a fictional hero in Child's books, is a former military policeman, strong and tall, and fearless as a fighter.

Child's revelation is further evidence of the major impact of the Ladybird Books, published between the 1950s and 1970s and read in their millions by children around the world.

The book read by Child has been confirmed as 'The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem,' published in 1953, with illustrations by Kenneth Inns, and written by Lucy Diamond.

That slim volume now stands revealed as having a major influence on popular crime fiction in the 21st century.

Religious titles were among the wide range of books published by Ladybird that were popular with children and their families, and widely used in primary schools and churches.

Some can still be found in church libraries today, with many older readers maintaining a deep affection for the books that first introduced them to Bible stories.

Helen Day, curator of 'The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Artists' exhibition, is a keen collector and historian of the books, and has taken her exhibition to a series of UK cities.

She explained, "The heyday of Ladybird is usually said to be the 'golden years' between 1950 and the early 1970s.

"They were hugely influential in children's lives – especially in the 1960s and 70s – when Ladybird was well established as a publisher for children and the market was less competitive. Right from the start, the combination of the small size, hard cover, abundant full-colour illustrations, consistent format and high quality made them appealing both to children and adults."

Day added, "Religious books were among the earlier titles to be published – beginning in 1952. They must have sold in vast numbers judging by the number of existing copies.

"It's extremely common to find a bookplate in the front of the religious books, explaining the title in question had been a prize for school attendance or success."

The first title in the Scripture series was published in 1952. 'The Child in the Temple', a retelling of the Bible story of Samuel, was written by Lucy Diamond with illustrations by Kenneth Inns.

Sadly, although much is known about the illustrators of the religious titles, there is little information about the writers, whose words introduced a generation to Bible stories and the life of Jesus.

Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, a former communications director with the CofE and a collector of Ladybird Books religious titles.