Faith

Around the world children practice the faith of their families. They come from many different religions. They are Rasafarian, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Daoist or Muslim. They have an assortment of ways they celebrate their faith. The Buddhists "make an offering at a shrine," carefully placing their lit candles in niches set in a large shrine. A young Jewish boy "chants Torah verses" while another studies the Qur'an. They chant their prayers, study their holy books, they go to religious schools or listen to their elders to learn about their faith. In the back of the book are "Words to Know," a section discussing the "Elements of Faith" (praying, chanting and singing, reading holy books, listening and learning, cleansing and holy places) and a worldwide map indicating where the photographs were taken. This book has a stunning array of photographs from around the world. There are quotes scattered throughout the book and each one is illustrated with photographs of children quietly practicing some aspect of their religion. For example, when the quote "We show our faiths through what we wear . . . and through what we eat and drink" we see children receiving Holy Communion, breaking the Ramadan fast, braiding challah bread and we see many in their representative dress. This is not a "preachy" book, but simply attempts to show us how special our faiths are to us and our children. It would be an excellent read and discuss book in any homeschool or classroom setting. It is a beautiful book you may wish to add to your shelves!

I bought this book for a friend's child and was really impressed at how it managed to take a complex issue like religious tolerance and acceptance and put it in a format that a child can enjoy with their family. This is a really important book.

Wow! Finally a cool book for kids about religion that doesn't push an agenda. It's not preachy at all, and the photos of children around the world are really amazing. I highly recommend it, it's a great book for all ages!