The Kids Book of World Religions

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This book does a good job of describing the major religions of the
world, but gives short shrift to smaller and indigenous religions.
Because this is a Canadian publication, which will undoubtedly find its
way into school libraries, one is disheartened that the rich religious
traditions of Canadian Natives are granted less than one page.

The map showing the distributions of religions around the world is even
more disconcerting. It shows only the dominant religion, so North
America is depicted as being wholly Christian, with the exception of
some indigenous religions in the Far North.

The text opens with a general discussion titled “What Is Religion?”
and then moves into discussions of each of the major religions. The
language is age-appropriate, and unusual words are explained either in
the text or in the glossary. Sidebars and text boxes highlight important
factual details.

The drawings, while not particularly sophisticated, do illustrate
important concepts in the text and are supplemented with photographs.
Almost all of the drawings that appear in the opening text are also used
elsewhere in the book.

While this book does help a child understand some of the most basic
facts about the major religions of the world, it does not reflect the
mosaic of practices that make up the religious face of Canada.
Therefore, school and public libraries will want to balance the purchase
of this book with others depicting all Canadian religions, so that all
children will see their faith practices reflected in the collections.
Recommended with reservations.