Faiths Near and Far

For many, religion is a deeply personal issue, one that is knit to a person’s intrinsic beliefs about life, death, personal conduct, and what is sacred. While the stories that make the news tend to showcase what is vitriolic and divisive about religions, these series keep the focus on elemental beliefs that encourage faith, peace, and a desire to do good in the world.

K-Gr 5–Though similar in style to “Families and Their Faiths” (see below), this series offers slightly more detailed information. Each volume is narrated from the point of view of a child. With two or three paragraphs per page, it covers an array of issues, all explained within the context of the narrator’s own life: celebrations, sacred places and persons, prayer, and personal behavior. High-quality photographs superimposed on a pale, mosaiclike background show the narrator with family, worshiping, reading, and participating in religious events.

K-Gr 3–Each book introduces a child who practices the faith featured. Keeping the focus on one youngster in a specific country provides a solid introduction without overwhelming readers with complex regional variations in practices and beliefs. The series is gorgeously illustrated with high-quality color photographs. All of the volumes show the children engaged in a variety of activities at home, at school, with friends and family, and practicing their religion. Words and phrases that are unique to the faith appear in bold font and are defined at greater length in the glossary. A “Notes for parents and teachers” section briefly describes common practices and provides information on such topics as the origins of the religion and how many people worldwide are believers.

Gr 3-6–Like the other series featured here, these lively and colorful books offer a breakdown of core beliefs and customs. In addition, the authors include tales, poems, prayers, excerpts from holy books, and the history behind religious symbols. Also included are easy-to-complete crafts and recipes. The books are illustrated with photographs and ornate drawings. A decorative border appears on each recto and around some paragraphs, adding attractive visual continuity.

Gr 7 Up–Thorough research and concise writing brand this series. Each volume discusses origins and historical development; aspects of the divine; sacred texts, persons, space, and time; ethical principles; death and the afterlife; and society and religion. Each chapter includes an extract from a sacred text followed by analysis and commentary. Terms and ideas that are unique to the religion are explained clearly within context. These slim, attractive titles are sparsely but well illustrated with high-quality reproductions of paintings and photographs that support the adjacent text. There is enough substance here to make this series a key resource for reports. “Understanding Religions” is similar in scope to “Religions of the World” (Lucent, 2002), but the format here is more colorful and attractive, and has more illustrations.

Gr 4-8–These books open with a significant, current news story involving the respective religion, a mode of introduction that serves to ground in the present ideas whose origins date to antiquity. The other chapters cover not only the origins of the faiths and their beliefs, but also examine day-to-day life, festivals, and political and social issues that have affected followers over time. The colorful, attractive layout includes high-quality reproductions of photographs, maps, and paintings. Students who are new to religious studies, as well as those doing reports, will find that this series meets their needs.

In each of these series, every component is measured to suit the intended audience, with Crabtree’s “Families and Their Faiths” and Rosen’s “I Belong” emphasizing children’s roles in religion. The authors’ tones are respectful. The writing styles are engaging and match the audience’s reading and comprehension levels. Illustrations are vibrant and abundant, but the layouts are not crowded. To perfect the presentations, the cover designs are bright and alluring, suggesting contents of lively interest. There is much here to admire and inspire.