Best religion books for children according to redditors
We found 226 Reddit comments discussing the best religion books for children. We ranked the 80 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 226 Reddit comments discussing the best religion books for children. We ranked the 80 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I really like the Children of God Storybook Bible and my kids seem to enjoy it more than the Jesus Storybook Bible.
Here it is, unfortunately without the pink ice sphere, still makes an ok comic book!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993/
My parents were heavily religious. I’m stuck being a manga loving weeaboo now since I never got the chance to get all the weirdness out of my system while I was young. (I’m a married 36-year-old female.) My particular genre of interest is yaoi, shamefully. (Sodom and Gomorrah stuff right there.)
I laughed out loud when I read your comment and remembered that my parents thought I needed this book in my room:
The Picture Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/0781430550/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eZKWAbFPN4K25
Ah, memories.
You might want to take a look at The Book of Gods or The Belief Book, both by David G. McAfee. I've read (well, skimmed...) the first and it's definitely aimed at that age range and seems like it's just what you're looking for.
Ask and you shall receive.
The most important thing you can do is promote critical thinking, which will undermine anything dad does.
Stress the following:
Also pick up the books 'Parenting Beyond Belief' and 'In Faith and In Doubt' by Dale McGowan
What she think about Jesus is her choice, not daddys and not mommys. So long as you allow her to express herself, and experiment with beliefs, and question everything, and you expose her to science, you'll probably be okay.
Books
Books
and books.
The main stressed point to raising secular children is teaching them HOW to think rather than WHAT to think.
Focus on giving them tools of skepticism, on questioning authority, on doubting claims without proof, etc.
but most important: just be there for them. Love them. Respect them. and they will follow suit
Relevant
For my 7y old, I've used the Marcia Williams series to learn about various mythologies. She also has a book on God and His Creations if you want a basic exposure to Christianity alongside.
I've also used a book called One World, Many Religions to teach more about the various religious practices active today.
This was the Original
Not sure what book they were referencing, but we have Mary Pope Osbourne's book on religion. It's heavy reading for little kids, but has a lot of pictures to talk about, and then as the kids got older, they would understand more and more of it.
https://www.amazon.com/One-World-Many-Religions-Worship/dp/0679839305
I'm pretty sure we already have a modern translation of the Bible, and it's a fucking graphic novel.
One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship is a great resource.
Relevant: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Chico-Life-Pope-Benedict/dp/1586172522
This book does a great job:
The Belief Book by McAfee & Harrison
>What is belief and why is it so important? Where did it come from and what does it do? This book answers all of those questions and more! David G. McAfee, an author who studies religions, teamed up with writer and illustrator Chuck Harrison to create The Belief Book. No matter how old or how young you are, this easy-to-read book can help you learn more about religions and gods and beliefs in general. It will also teach you about something called The Scientific Method, which is how we learn new things about the world! By the time you're done reading you will know the answers to some of life's biggest questions, but more importantly you will see why your questions, and all questions for that matter, are so important. This book is the first in a series of books all about belief, gods, and religion. The fully illustrated and interactive Belief Book is for readers and thinkers of all ages, including kids and kids at heart.
(1) What does leading your family look like to you? Is it reading the Bible together? You could be absolutely diligent at reading the Bible together and not be leading well. If you aren't setting a consistent godly example, no one will be interested in following your leadership, because it's not working in your own life. I don't know you so that's maybe not the case, but, in my experience, wives who get frustrated by their husband trying to read the Bible with them are generally already upset with his weak character. Are you living leadership or just trying to read with her and call it leadership?
(2) Help your daughter understand the Bible. We separate my 3-year-old from my 4 and 6-year-old for devotions because she is far enough behind them developmentally that she doesn't get much from teaching on their level and they don't get much from teaching on hers. She gets disruptive because she's bored when it's above her level.
Maybe your daughter just isn't ready to have the Bible read to her. Thankfully there are a number of resources that are available to you. The Jesus Story Book Bible, The Biggest Story, The Big Picture Story Bible, The Gospel Story Bible, my personal favorite is The Big Picture Interactive 52-Week Bible Story Devotional. If you're teaching on her level she will be a lot more engaged.
The book "one world, many religions" by Mary pope Osborne, the same author who does the magic treehouse series.
http://www.amazon.com/One-World-Many-Religions-Worship/dp/0679839305
This book covers the major world religions, without bias.
World Religions Book
Also, here’s some historical reading on the Bible, if you want a good companion to understanding it, apart from any misconceptions your family may have.
The Complete Guide to the Bible
Especially when there are cool, modernized versions like this.
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
My son is still an infant so I haven't put this into practice yet. However, once my son is inevitably exposed to christianity and has questions, my goal is to teach him about christianity right alongside other world religions. If he asks, I plan to tell him that dad does not believe in any of these religions but many people do. I have purchased this book which looks like a nice survey of world religions, aimed at children, which does not advocate for any one religion. Hopefully the takeaway will be that people believe many different things, but that christianity does not deserve any less scrutiny simply because he will encounter christianity more than other faiths.
One person suggested this book which looks so cool and thoughtful!
It bothers me too that Christianity is depicted as a white religion. Considering that it became the official religion of the Holy Roman Empire, and not the official religion for any non-European ethnic groups, it's not surprising, but I do think that it's a loss.
Nowadays for kids, they have things that specifically talk about battles and "miracles" god performed. They call it the "Action Bible". https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
I had a similar problem after moving back to the USA from Europe. It didn't help that I moved to the south (North Carolina). My 7 year-old daughter became best friends with the girl across the street, and she was from a very religious family. She started going to church events (picnics, etc.) with her friend. When she asked for her own Bible, I realized it was time to have a talk...
I solved this in two ways: (1) I bought a book on world religions, with lots of pictures, [similar to this.] (http://www.amazon.com/Religions-The-World-Illustrated-Traditions/dp/0816062587/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1374233216&sr=8-7&keywords=religions+world+guide)
You already have a head start, thanks to your discussions of Greek Gods. I think it's key that kids learn different cultures have different beliefs. Once you cross that Rubicon, kids immediately understand religion is a racket, a man made construction. The book has lots of nice pictures, religious art, etc. So you can both learn a lot.
(2) I never prevented her from going to church with her friend. She eventually got bored with it, as there were too few picnics, too much preaching. Religion is its own worst enemy. So long as your teach your child critical thinking, you have nothing to fear long term.
Good luck!
We used The Big Picture Story Bible before we got into the Jesus Storybook Bible.
The illustrations in the BPSB have a a bit more going on in them than the JSB, so I think that helped keep my toddler's attention better.
My two year-old won't sit still for very long for books yet, unlike my five year-old when he was that age.
Oh, there are graphic novel versions.
https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Graphic-Bible-Genesis-Revelation/dp/0745949231
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
Even DC Comics made a few.
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/the-bible
Congratulations on reaching a compromise between the two of you. It's a great start.
There are lots of resources out there to learn about world religions. Many are tailored to educating children. There are sites with interactive activities, like this for example:
http://www.hindukids.org/index.html
There are sites that have lists of books to look into reading, I'm sure there are DVDs out there too. Think 'Living Scriptures' for non-LDS. One example might be:
http://www.buddhistchildrensbooks.com
Amazon even has books geared towards kids that introduce world religions, such as:
http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287
Hit up Google and start searching for kid-friendly ways to introduce different paths and belief systems. I'm not sure where you live, and I know you mentioned that you don't want to start going to another church regularly, but Utah has a large number of non-Christian worshippers. There are a few beautiful Hindu temples in Utah (one in South Jordan, another in Spanish Fork), a few Buddhist temples (SLC for example). There is even a strong Islam presence in Utah. If you're trying to avoid worship maybe check into activities or events each community has which are open to the public.
Where ever you live, just start with Google.
Your children are young enough that I'd imagine your time could be spent just teaching ideas that encourage them to think for themselves. You could choose to talk with them about being spiritual instead of religious. Its a great thing when you're discussing religious concepts with kids - you don't have to know the answers they may ask. It's a great time to introduce ideas such as "Some people believe... others believe... but no one knows for certain. What do you think?" The fact that Daddy doesn't know the answer reinforces the concept that these are all mythical/philosophical concepts instead of hard truths.
Talk about being grateful for ___ in your life (such as being grateful for our health, grateful for the ability to have food) instead of thankful (which often refers to thanking god for things). This can also lead into discussions that not everyone in the world enjoys such things we may take for granted.
This website has a few great ideas of things to do with children to teach spiritual ideas instead of religious traditions:
http://www.parenting.com/article/teach-spirituality-kids
I think you're on a good path in that you want to teach your children to learn about other ways of doing things. It can only benefit them. Good luck!!
A simple search on the error page resulted with this:
https://www.amazon.com/Belief-Book-David-G-McAfee/dp/1908675314/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542124475&sr=8-2&keywords=chuck+Harrison
Username checks out! :P
https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Creation-Stories-Around-World/dp/0152387420
Exposure dillutes potentcy.
I don't know of any UU-specific books, but in the spirit of UU, maybe it's better to offer a variety of perspectives?
Never read the Action Bible comic I take it?
See my flair.
Maybe some of these or books like these will help you explain things to your kids.
http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326736652&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Pretend-Freethought-Book-Children/dp/1877733059/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7
http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Yes-No-Dan-Barker/dp/0879756071/ref=pd_sim_b_5/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287/ref=pd_sim_b_2/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_sim_b_3/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V
I second this book, but if you have the option the iPad version is excellent with lots of interactive features.
I also read "What Do You Believe"?" with my kids. It is an even-handed introduction to both mainstream and minority religions.
We have used this one to talk about religion and the many different beliefs.
Some ones I can think of offhand plus a few lists:
Me & Dog
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/41547.Atheism_and_Religious_Disbelief_in_Children_s_Fiction
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/skeptical_books_for_children_and_young_adults
http://www.atheistrepublic.com/blog/karenloethen/books-your-skeptical-children
There Are Not Monsters Under Your Bed: A Storybook for Skeptical Thinkers
Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong
It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me
Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids
I'm An Atheist And That's Ok
Older than The Stars
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
Richard Dawkins’ The Magic of Reality
The Golden Rule
The Belief Book
http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/parents/?p=384
God Is Redundant
Get a nice picture book of world religions and tell him about all the different gods that people all over the world believe in. I searched "child's book of world religions" on amazon and came up with some that looked good. This one looked very good, and got excellent reviews: http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416532756&sr=8-1&keywords=what+do+you+believe
Then tell him that you and mommy don't really believe in any of it, but when he grows up he gets to decide what he wants to believe in.
And maybe get a history of world religions book, too. That way you can show him Thor (lightning bolts!) while you let him know that gods come and go.
I always try to encourage her to learn anything science related. And we actually try to expose her to all the beliefs of as many religions she is interested in. We got her this last Christmas. We've never told her what she should believe although she does ask us what we believe a lot. And not matter what you say or do, for a while they'll try to emulate. We always try to stress that it's ok for her and her friends to all believe in different things and it's what makes the world go round (no point into getting into how fanatical Islam is doing this or Extremist Fundamentalist Christians are doing that...she's 7). And that what she thinks now might not be the same thing she thinks down the road.
For us we went to a great workshop/seminar with Dale MacOwan which had some good ways of dealing with parenting in the midst of a lot of religious people. Common issues, etc.
In the end it's never her behavior I question or worry about, it's when/if her little friends try to pressure her into anything , which includes religion. She's even relayed a few times where kids have started to just get angry and tell her "She's dumb for not believing in Jesus" or how can she not. And she repeats her little refrain that she told them "it's ok to believe in different things." She's like a little ambassador for getting-along for humanities sake. So far it hasn't failed her. I just expect the parents at some points to be the real dicks with ostracizing. Hope they prove me wrong.
The Action Bible
Perhaps not for a 7 month old... but by 4-5 he will LOVE it.
I have probably read through it completely (700+ pages) 3 times with my son already.
Three suggestions:
The Action Bible: My goddaughter's mom verifies both its theological accuracy and its popularity among the kids - and what a great sale on amazon right now!
Wee Believers might be too young for him, but if not, you can use the promo code SPR2015 through 3/13 for an unnamed discount on your total order (yay email newsletter!)
Magnificat Children's Books or MagnifiKid! Full disclosure: I work for Magnificat. I don't actually gain anything if you buy from us; I just happen to think our kids stuff is pretty great.
Plush saint dolls or pillowcases. I haven't bought these, so I can only go by reputation.
I wish you fruitful shopping, and enjoy his First Communion and celebrations! That's the ONE downside of my godson being Byzantine... :)
I saw it at Wal-Mart but here is an amazon link.
http://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
My situation is very different, DH and I are both out. I do however worry a lot about Utah culture influencing my kids and my kids wanting to please beloved TBM grandma. One thing I do is read them children's books about different beliefs/science. Here are a few I ordered recently. My heart goes out to you. Keep doing your thing, being a loving father and talking to them openly.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940051045/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152017720/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756672287/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (for older kids)
One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship, by Mary Pope Osborne – Survey of all the world’s religions from children’s perspectives, geared for 9-12 year olds.
Buller, Laura (2005). A Faith Like Mine. New York, NY: DK. Includes Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhism in detail, with bits on Zoroastrianism, Shinto, Taoism, Jainism and Baha’i, for ages 9-12.
DK Publishing (2011). What Do You Believe? New York, NY: DK. Includes all of the largest faiths, many smaller religious, plus ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, as well as modern thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Kant, and Sartre.
The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow, by Sanjay Patel – This is actually not a children’s book, but came highly recommended
Demi (2005). Jesus. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth – Introduction to Zen principles by a giant panda, targeted to children 9-12
DK Publishing (2011). What Do You Believe? New York, NY: DK. Includes all of the largest faiths, many smaller religious, plus ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, as well as modern thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Kant, and Sartre.
The Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh, by Amy Novesky – Beautifully illustrated tale of Ganesh, Hindu deity.
Demi (2003). Muhammad. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Yeah, I actually do feel like I get equal time. Early on my wife and I compromised on church attendance - I keep one of the boys home with me every week and we do something fun, like spending some time winning prizes at the nickelcade or seeing a movie.
I also bought a book for my boys, What do You Believe, which is a pretty high level survey of belief for kids. I wouldn't recommend it for really young ones, though. My 5 year old thinks it's pretty boring. But it has been the prompt for several discussions about what I personally believe, which is cool.
Some of the books we use:
The Kids Book of World Religions
The Belief Book
Awkward Moments (Not Found In Your Average) Children's Bible Book Series
I'm going to order the Church of Satan Activity book for this holiday season. Only $5! Thanks /u/lifebeatmyass
The Action Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/0781444993/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hxEzxbGWEZ84Y
I would recommend In The Beginning as a way to bring up religions. It is a book that explains the creation stories of many different cultures around the world. The Christian version is in there too, called 'Yaweh the Creator'. This is a way to not give any one religion special significance, but show how there are common themes across them all.
Religions Of The World: The Illustrated Guide To Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals by Elizabeth Breuilly is pretty good.
https://www.amazon.com/Religions-World-Illustrated-Traditions-Festivals/dp/0816062587
Good for you! First go to your state education website and find out what the requirements are for homeschooling, if any. Next, locate homeschooling groups in your area, talk to parents, and considering joining to try them out. Your kids will need extra curricular activities and friends, of course. Home schooled kids are eligible to have access to to facilities and programs in your school district. Music programs, athletic facilities, library, etc.
Start them on a foreign language as early in life as possible and do at least eight years so they're fluent. Have them master a musical instrument. A flute is lightweight for a grade school aged child to carry and it's not excessively loud. If you've ever had a saxophone player in the household and had to listen to daily practice sessions, you understand what I mean. Hah. I like piano too.
Make sure you cover history, geography, art and literature very well. Schools seem to be missing a lot in these subjects. Biographies are a great way to learn about history. But do tailor your approach. If you have a kid who's hotly interested in a particular subject or activity, give them leeway to follow their interest. Kids need plenty of physical activity, as I'm sure you know. We went to the public library every week and brought plenty of books home in our 'book bags'. Stock a shelf of classical children's literature in each child's room. Include the gift of a book on every gift giving occasion. And try to challenge them occasionally with books that are a little beyond their reading/vocabulary level, or at least have that material available for when they're ready.
>prepared your children for the harshness that is the real world
It's okay to protect kids, to let them have some innocence. They need to be stress free so they can focus on learning, growing and playing. On the other hand, they also need to be encouraged to take on age appropriate risks. You'll know when the time comes how to explain what the dangers are and teach them how to cope. Nursery rhymes, fairy tales, Sacred Scripture, and old classic Disney films can help. This picture Bible was a hit in our family with grade schoolers.
Here, one volume. Should make it easier...
http://www.amazon.com/One-World-Many-Religions-Worship/dp/0679839305
The Belief Book
My 13 year old is reading HDM right now. :) Fantastic trilogy. I loved Chronicles of Narnia when I was in 7th grade. A few years ago I tried to read it to my kids and just couldn't get through it. Not because of the themes or the plot, the actually writing is pretty bad. Compared to HDM, CoN is not even the same class of sophistication.
Edited to add: for younger kids, I recommend In the Beginning: Creation Stories From Around the World by Virginia Hamilton. It is beautifully illustrated. My young kids loved it. We read one story each night and it prompted awesome conversations. http://smile.amazon.com/Beginning-Creation-Stories-Around-World/dp/0152387420/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462464489&sr=1-3&keywords=in+the+beginning
It's actually pretty cool. It's basically an illustrated Bible, but drawn like a comic book. It's got some great artwork. You can check it out here
I'm so old that Archie comics used to be FANTASTIC!
Manga Bible
Another
Manga bible series
The Action Bible
The Lion Graphic Bible
And plenty others.
That's a start, anyway. Good luck.
The Brick Bible is great. It tells the complete story of the Bible, instead of just the "nice" stories. But it uses legos, so it isn't so horrifying.
https://www.amazon.com/Brick-Bible-Complete-Set-Presents/dp/1626361770/
Also, search on Amazon for World Religions. Teach them all about the different world religions and how someone's religion depends on their parents, and not truth.
This is the book I used. More education is better, especially if you live in the Bible belt.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554539811/
Cool! Guess not. Mine is the most recent edition - this one right here
https://www.amazon.com/Discussions-Youth-Leaders-Daisaku-Ikeda-ebook/dp/B00EN8N8TU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540399744&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=discussions+on+youth
Beat me to it. This guy here - https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Bible-Iva-Hoth/dp/0781430550/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538400614&sr=8-2&keywords=picture+bible. Don't expect indepth discussions of doctrine and nuance. Do expect oversimplified, kid-level stuff. I second this recommendation.
I bought this book for my kids and they have had a great time learning about all different religions (if I recall it was recommended by this sub :))
What Do You Believe
http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287/ref=pd_cp_b_0))
*edit for spacing
You mean something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAjw2cTmBRAVEiwA8YMgzbTTgUfcNT-Eo37DE2DLirVhASenqDG6-J5doWFrDb9jhErYGb_IXxoCIgkQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241610017362&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9019498&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2965472603270336703&hvtargid=kwd-25298797047&hydadcr=16812_10296906&keywords=action+bible&qid=1557229468&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
On the subject of books, my 1- and 3-year-old love this book and have us read it frequently. It's a resilient little board book for them and includes all the highlights of Mass.
Other than that, I'm basically in the same boat with how old my kids are. I get fewer questions, though, because the older one is in speech therapy, so he's probably learning from all the things we do instead of asking questions. (This is more than a little terrifying.)
As someone said below, ask Jesus to take any demons away from you. Keep staying away from porn and masturbation, as porn is full of demons, and masturbation can open you up to them. If you backslide, ask for forgiveness and repent.
Ask Jesus Christ to save your soul, and to forgive your sins. Forgive anyone who has sinned against you.
Also, remove any potential demonic influences. For example, if you play video games with demonic images, or any music that might be demonic.
Research spiritual warfare to learn more. Also, I'd suggest praying and reading the bible daily. The more you connect with God, the more his presence will be in your life. If you have a hard time getting into the bible, try starting with The Action Bible, which is a comic book/graphic novel version. As for praying, if you aren't sure how, you can try just talking to God about whatever is on your mind. Like, you could say what you said in your post, but just to God.
God bless you, friend :)
​
Perhaps you could read from In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World.
Its worst review on Goodreads had the following to say:
> I found the stories – which spanned three to five pages – to be lacking. They were interesting concepts, and I think that children would enjoy them, but for me, it was too brief and too bland.
So the stories are short, and judging by the excerpt available on Amazon, I can very well imagine that with a bit of voice acting, a child might like them.
I would also recommend The Picture Bible, it's the one I grew up with
David G McAfee has this and apparently is good for kids, and has others especially useful for shooting down MIL as she probably thinks atheism is worse than Islam from how you describe her
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belief-Book-David-G-McAfee/dp/1908675314
You might consider talking about some other religions as well, to reinforce the idea that there are MANY different beliefs about what happens after we die (reincarnation, etc). Maybe check out a good kids book on world religions from the library and look through it together. You also might take a look at "The Belief Book" by David McAfee: http://www.amazon.com/The-Belief-Book-David-McAfee/dp/1908675314/
If you're into graphic novels, you should check out The Action Bible by Doug Mauss.
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993/
Buddha in Your Backpack
Check out In The Beginning: Creation Stories From Around The World. My son loved the stories, and wanted me to read more and saw how they all sort of sounded alike. We checked it out from the library
This is how I read the Bible.
Welcome! A book we really found helpful for our children is:
What Do You Believe https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756672287/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
it provides neutral information about different religions of the world, customs, holidays, etc. it also includes non believers. I like this book for two big reasons, the tone is neutral, often books about religion are christian-centric or focus heavily on the Abrahamic religions. This book treats all of them evenly. And, it includes non believers. I also like my kids to have a basic understanding about different religions because they are part of the fabric of our society and there are many expressions, etc. that are based on religion. I believe Mary Pope Osborn, author of the Magic Treehouse series, did some nice retellings of Greek Myths. That might be worth checking out as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
My wife and I love this book about the Mass (A Missal for Toddlers). It's simple and my kids enjoy flipping through it. There are a few other Catholic books we have, but I can't remember off the top of my head. You might also consider posting this question in https://www.reddit.com/r/CatholicParenting/ . Surely they'll have some ideas.
this one was helpful for my children when we left our religion: https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Book-World-Religions/dp/1554539811/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474913111&sr=8-3&keywords=world+religion+kids I wanted them to see the broader picture of religion and see how many similarities and the uses of religion. Highly recommend. They were fascinated and really enjoyed learning more about the world through this lens.
Its pretty easy, religion should be a personal choice made by the child when he/she is ready.
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Kids-Book-World-Religions/dp/1554539811
Best you can do is talk them, answer your questions and support them in whatever they choose if they ever make a decision. If you instill a sense that they should come to you with questions they will be just fine.
This book is pretty good:
The Kids Book of World Religions
There’s The Action Bible. I own one but I haven’t read it myself yet as I’m still trying to finish my King James. It’s 752 pages of about 215 graphic novel styled bible stories from genesis through revelations. I believe it’s based off the ESV but I’ve never read an ESV so I’m not entirely sure myself. It’s by Sergio Cariello who worked for Marvel and DC. It’s a reworking of of David C. Cook’s Picture Bible from the 1970’s. The index tells you specifically which book and verses the stories are from. There’s about 8 pages that are based off of non biblical historical texts though it tells you where they are in the index so you can skip them if you wish. I bought mine on amazon but I saw one on the bookshelf at Walmart a little while ago.
The Action Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/0781444993/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ke3uDb7JXRHKT
I think it was actually just an older version of The Picture Bible. http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Bible-Iva-Hoth/dp/0781430550
I have no idea if it's still good, or I merely thought it was at 6. I should find a copy and see it withstood the test of time.
Link to book, preview pages available.
How about the Spark Story Bible? It has nice illustrations, hits all the big stories through Scripture, and has nice little discussion questions or activities after each of the stories. It certainly isn't the best thing in the world, but for getting younger kids interested in the Bible I think it's a good tool.
There's a bunch of different comic book Bibles. This one (I think) is the same as the one I had in the 80s. I just ordered one now to see if it is the same as I remember.
I've got a little ways to go (14 mo. old), but the following books have been recommended in other threads and have been on my wish list a while and might be helpful:
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
On the scouts question, from what I've read the scouts in the US patently don't allow atheists, so I'm pretty much planning on avoiding them entirely unless at the boy's request. Luckily I live in an area that sports a large number of non-religious folks so I'm hoping that through friends and such we'll get our fair share of camping and outdoorsy stuff without resorting to scouts.
Okay, this goes against what I said about reading key parts of the KJV, but if you're just wanting to get the characters and stories imprinted in your brain, here's a great resource: The Picture Bible
Yes, it's all the Bible stories in graphic novel format. I read this like crazy when I was a kid.
Well this is older but it's a pretty famous one and has likely been translated. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0152387420/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ErloDbY1EXZQN
I got one of these recently (which has a conventional old-style comic book look)
You might like these two amateur-made comic books from the 1980s -
maybe you'd like to redraw the content in a more modern style?
I don't know where you can find it online (my parents gave my kids a hard copy of the book), but you can order it for a penny at Amazon.
Okay I've got a question! I used to have this huge gold leafed, beautifully illustrated bible stories book when I was a kid. I remember it having a sky blue hardcover and being quite thick, however I was like...five maybe when I received it, so in my memories it's this giant thing. ANYWAY, does anyone know what I'm talking about? I've tried googling illustrated bible stories and I can't find it, I have no idea who the author was. I can still see the pictures in my mind clear as day. I'd love to have a copy of it for my girls, or something similar.
Edit: I FOUND IT!!! A reviewer was nice enough to include a ton of photos of the illustrations and I recognized them! http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Illustrated-Childrens-Bible/dp/0736962131/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C2B9H3H6AWR1SDXVRFD
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.
Our 10 year old enjoys this book.
It introduces readers to the many religions of the world and its equally numerous philosophies, from global religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, to lesser-known faiths, and from ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, to modern thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Kant, and Sartre.
Having lived through similar from both sets of grandparents I cannot recommend the books by this author enough. Let them know about Christianity but also about every other religion out there .
The Belief Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/1908675314/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Nr3ZCbSERR6QY
I've gotten great stuff out of these books, especially the "What You Believe" one. It basically shows that all religions are founded on crazy myths, and how incredibly small and insignificant mormonism in on the global scale.
https://bookofbadarguments.com/
http://raisingfreethinkers.com/
https://www.amazon.com/What-You-Believe-Big-Questions/dp/0756672287
​
This is also a great book that my children have read and learned from. It helps cover world religions and has helped my kids understand some of their friends various religious and faith backgrounds better: What do you believe? http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287
Probably something like this.
I've been diving into this over the weekend, and it's totally awesome.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Kids-Book-World-Religions/dp/1554539811
I collect bibles... I found my one by Jeff Anderson and Mike Maddox on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Graphic-Bible-Genesis-Revelation/dp/0825462657/ref=sr_1_6?qid=1570064180&refinements=p_27%3AJeff+Anderson%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3AJeff+Anderson&rnid=1000&s=books&sr=1-6&text=Jeff+Anderson
The comic book version of the bible is actually pretty awesome, or at least the one I had as a kid was.
edit: I think this was the version I had:
http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Bible-Iva-Hoth/dp/0781430550
Actually, there is a comic book collection of bible stories.
I read this picture Bible twice, once as a kid and once as an adult, and really enjoyed it both times. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a quick refresher on all of the basic Bible stories.
Also, The Source isn't exactly what you are looking for but might be relevant. I like Michener in theory, if not in practice.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Belief-Book-David-McAfee/dp/1908675314
Check this out
The Kids Book of World Religions Even has a section about atheists.
DK What Do You Believe is more accessible with great history.
I just did a google search and it looks like there are a few. Here, is a listing to one with some links to other options as well
https://www.amazon.com/Action-Bible-Doug-Mauss/dp/0781444993
And it looks like here is one that is online in pdf form:
https://goodandevilbook.com/english//Good-and-Evil-English-Full.pdf
This looks good too:
http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287
I had a comic book bible when I was a kid, something like this one. And now I'm an atheist. Not sure that the two things are entirely related, but I won't count out the possibility.
I am sure these have been mentioned somewhere but I can't find them.
I have a 4 year old and a 6 year old. My husband and I are atheist as well.
Two books that are well loved here are: In the Beginning and What Do You Believe?
Yes!
They also sell shorter ones. I got all these
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1414316801/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_du3-AbXHVB1BE
There’s an action bible too
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0781444993/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8u3-AbWAZVMX3
Here’s one to check out.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1451499787/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511442507&sr=1-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sparks+story+bible&dpPl=1&dpID=51CGjwf%2BOAL&ref=plSrch
This is the best one I've seen so far, thanks.
But you posted the mobile link, so I will post the fullsite link for the lazy:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679839305/
I'm atheist, wife is agnostic/nonreligious. Her family is devout catholic, mine is baptist.
I'm pretty strict in my atheism. I don't flaunt it, but I don't suffer fools either. So there have been discussions when I see family attempting to indoctrinate my son's trusting mind.
Early on, we decided not to sacrifice relationships over this. But instead of focusing on staying away from Christianity, we've flooded him with all the legend, myth and story we can shovel into him. I'm a b ig fan of Irish Myth, and the Cuchalain stories are fantastic. I was also recommended In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World in this forum and D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths which is his favorite book right now.
Our tact will be to make him drink from a firehose so that it's all just stories and nothing will have the opportunity to take hold until we can better explain the virtues and pitfalls of dogmas.
If you like graphic novels at all, this one is actually pretty accurate, and the illustrations are great:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0781444993/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486962330&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=The+Action+Bible+God%27s+Redemptive+Story&dpPl=1&dpID=612L14knTSL&ref=plSrch
Like... The Action Bible?
I love the New Catholic Picture Bible (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/089942435X).
I was thinking of this: The Action bible
Yep absolutely, as long as they are getting a broad spectrum of different viewpoints. There are several good books about comparative religion geared toward children too.
What do you Believe is a really good overview of the worlds major religions for kids and What is God is excellent at explaining that some people believe in god but leaves it up to the child to determine what they believe.