Religions Explained: A Beginner's Guide to World Faiths (Henry Holt Reference Book)

By Anita Ganeri and Marcus Braybrooke

Book Overview

The world can be a confusing place, with so many things to learn and discover. Facts are presented to young people every day, but what do they really mean? By providing clear examples and helpful explanations to untangle often complex ideas, these books make their subjects accessible and truly fascinating. With the help of original, interactive, full-color illustrations and approachable writing, the books in this series really explain the way the world works.Here is an entirely new way to explore the wonderful and often mysterious faiths practiced by people around the world. Religions Explained takes the reader on a spiritual voyage back in time to the ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, Babylonia, and the Americas; through the long-ago beginnings of current faiths; to religions as they are practiced in all their incredible varieties today. By focusing in an objective way on the history, worship, and festivals of each faith, this book provides answers and information about the complicated ways people worship.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080504874X
• ISBN13: 9780805048742
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books (CT)
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.2" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Fair treatment of world religions

This Henry Holt reference volume for children includes much of everything you ever wanted to know about world religions, from ancient practices to living faiths through the development of new belief systems, Ganeri takes us on a brightly illustrated journey around the world and through the centuries. Focusing on the major world religions, Ganeri shares the history, practice, and festivals celebrated thousands of years ago and today. Difficult as it is to fit the idea of comparative religion into 69 pages for children, Ganeri has done an admirable job including basic information without crossing the line into controversial areas. She manages to mention the importance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to Jews and to Muslims, but avoids the bigger political fallout surrounding those beliefs. Ganeri seems to focus Christian information on "high church" beackgrounds, choosing to describe missionary work as that performed by "nuns and monks," and including pictures of robed priests and formal cathedrals to describe how Christians worship. But overall, this is a nice collection of information from a broad background, and the Henry Holt name gives more credence to inclusion in a school library.