My 7-year-old daughter got a couple of story Bibles from one of her great-grandmothers for christmas. She has been reading them, pretty much non-stop, since then. She is a kid who is interested in religion and Christianity in general, I think because of time spent in school last year with a first-grade friend who’s family is fundamentalist.
We are basically athiests who occasionally talk about joining the Unitatian Church for the community aspects but never do.
If our daughter grows up to have faith, that is cool with us. But we want her to know that there are options…or even just give her the perspective that there are many different ways to believe, (even if she grows up to believe only one of them is true.)
Finally, she is a voracious reader and the Bible is a thumping good story. I think some part of her obsession is just wanting to be entertained.
So all that explained, do you have any recommendations for books that are aimed at kids, and might be as compelling as a story Bible but introdouces other religions? I’ll have a look around at Amazon of course but thought SDMBers might have some suggestions to share.
If you want to introduce other religions, you might look at Barnes and Nobles or Amazon for a Children’s friendly version of the Ramayana, it’s probably the most accessible of the Hindu Epic texts, and it’s a pretty easy story to follow if you get one that’s meant for younger kids. There are plenty of version out there, from flowery poetry version to more philosophical, and I know that children’s illustrated versions as well as regular version DO exist (though I’ve mostly seen them in India/Indian Bookstores), but Amazon and places like B&N might be your friend. (I found that just searching by name and then "Children’s stories comes up with various suggestions on Amazon)
Also in the Hindu line, if you can find any stories of Krishna during his childhood phase, there should be plenty of stories and books from then aimed for kids. The *Mahabharata *is a bit… too heavy politically to make for a good story for kids of her age, but that’s why just focusing on Krishna’s childhood should lead to plenty of parables and such (which also tends to make up parts of a good Ramayana translation- the original stories are filled with stories within stories- little fables/parables of animals and demons and creatures and such behaving in various ways with a hidden subtext of using these as a model of dharma vs. Karma and such, but I doubt you’d find a good children’s book with that sorta thing).
*Though a bit of warning, the stories themselves can be violent seeming, as the tale of the Ramayana is the tale of a warrior prince seeking out his stolen wife from an evil king. So there’s a huge setup of basically trying to find her, and befriending various anthropomorphic creatures (all of whom tend to have some religious significance nowadays SOMEwhere in India) until he finally finds the evil king, and then it’s a giant Battle between Good and Evil. Which I always loved hearing about as a boy growing up, the epic battles between the princes of good vs. the sons of the evil demon king and such, but again it depends on what version you find as to the levels of violence and such. Which is why again, easier to try to go to a chain or such, and browse the books, just look towards the end and check how violent they depict the end battles and all.
But it’s got princes, princesses, an evil King with many wives, talking monkeys, and talking bears, swan chariots, Bad guys that turn good, TONS of Hindu gods and plenty of interesting things in there not normally found in most “typical” stories one reads as a kid.
*Oh, SideNote: Also, I’d check to see how they deal with Sita (the princess) getting back with Rama. Because in some versions he sticks TOO much with being a “Good King” rather than a “Good Husband” and basically casts Sita out the Kingdom because the townspeople would talk ill about her and rumors that she probably cheated on him and such while she was kidnapped. So some versions do have that ending, which I HOPE would not be found in most children’s versions -as just like with the Bible you can find plenty of easy to read and “edited” versions that make things less violent and emphasizes more of the kind and loving aspects rather than the harsher versions (but you never know. So again, flip to the end and just scan to check out that version).
There’s a wonderful cartoon making the rounds, with free versions online*, called Sita Sings the Blues. A little strong for a 7-year-old, but get her again when she’s 11 or 12.
*With the animator’s permission; she’s a little eccentric about refusing to copyright stuff.
This book is surely out of print, but it’s really cool, and kid friendly.
In The Beginning is a collection of twenty-five creation stories, from many different cultures. The copyright is 1988, the author is Virginia Hamiltion, with illustrations by Barry Moser. I must say the artwork is amazing. You could maybe find it at www.abebooks.com
Two of the stories are from the Old Testament, telling both of the creation stories found in Genesis. There is “Elohim the Creator” and “Yahweh the Creator”. There are African stories, American Indian stories, Greek stories, and so on.
If you can find this book I’d really recommend it.
You need to find a book that explains, at that age level, that religions are nothing but lies. Then take those bibles away from her before she hurts herself with them.
How about theScrewtape Letters?? Or Mister God, this is Anna?Both are about religion, but I loved them as an atheist kid, and they helped me think about good and god in a more personal way.
She might also love watching the musical Jesus Crist Superstar.
When I was your daughter’s age, I discovered Greek Mythology. I’m not sure what edition I checked out from the library, but it definitely wasn’t the sanitized kid’s version. I remember reading the story of the Minotaur, which begins with the wife of King Minos falling in love with and getting impregnated by a bull. I peered over the top of the book at my parents, wondering, “Holy cow, do they know what I’m reading right now?” (They didn’t. My parents never got an education in the classics.)
But the point is, I was absolutely enthralled with the stories and remain so to this day. Of course, some of the mythology is quite violent and the character’s actions are morally questionable, but in that way it’s no different than the Bible.
D’Aulaire’s is bowdlerized. In D’Aulaire’s, Pasiphae just wants to get close to the bull to admire its beauty, and Poseidon causes her to give birth to a monster because he wanted the bull as a sacrifice. Zeus also marries all the women he has sex with.
D’Aulaires all the way. They have a book on Norse myths too. I remember reading D’Aulaire’s in fifth grade, and it was fascinating. I bought it for my 6yo, but she hasn’t been terribly interested yet (but that is just how she is right now - very little interest in books). But I read it when she’s putting on her PJs and stuff, and it’s still fun.
I stumbled upon the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, and it’s fabulous for non-believing families - shows how the Noah story is just another story like many cultures have.
For young girls interested in learning about Judaism, you can’t go wrong with the All-of-a-kind Family series. They’re less a presentation of doctrine than a sort of Jewish Little House on the Praire, but they’re great fun and will introduce her to Jewish customs and traditions.
I just went to an Usborne Book party, and they have quite a few possibilities, fromGreek Myths for Young Childrento Stories from India to the Usborne Book of World Religions, as well as many Christian stories (FYI at least some of which are aimed at indoctrination, e.g. “Jesus died for us,” rather than “Christians believe that Jesus died to wash away sin.”)
I ordered a couple - I haven’t read them so I can’t say what quality they are, but I was happy to see so much religious literacy material.