I know EXACTLY what you mean. I have 4 ‘schooling’ children and 3 ‘pre-schooling’ children. Mostly boys. There is no real quiet here either.
We have used Vos’ Story Bible with Gospel Light’s Big Book of Bible Story Coloring pages (off Amazon, much cheaper). The coloring pages work wonderfully for the Littles, and then when they get a little older, they just draw (read: NARRATE) the story.
I don’t necessarily think the coloring book is ‘cartoon-ish’ but it’s not exactly true-to-life illustrations. Just big & simple, which makes it much easier for smaller children to color properly.