This is the second post in a series on World Religions for Kids, a group of articles packed with resources to help teachers and parents teach their children about World Religions as a means to promote compassion, empathy, cultural understanding, and tolerance. These books are a sample of the incredible list of 300+ multicultural books featured in The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners, a new book with hundreds of easy activities, resources, and projects to help busy educators incorporate global and cultural awareness in their classroom. Learn more here.
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General Books about World Religions for Kids
Use these books to explore similarities and differences in traditions, rituals, beliefs, and celebrations of world religions for kids.
Buller, Laura (2005). A Faith Like Mine
DK Publishing (2011). What Do You Believe?
Glossop, Jennifer, & Mantha, John (2003). The Kids Book of World Religions. Toronto, Canada: Kids Can Press. In addition to the general information about the different world religions for kids, it also includes info on leaders and places of worship (focusing on the major religions only).
Lumbard, Alexis York (2014). Everyone Prays. Bloomington, IN: Wisdom Tales. Perfect introductory text for kids ages 4-8, with a unifying message that despite our different cultures and traditions, many people have a deep faith.
Meredith, Susan (2012). The Usborne Book of World Religions
Osborne, Mary Pope (1996). One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers. Includes Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, for ages 8-12.
Books about Specific World Religions for Kids
Buddhism
Demi (1997). Buddha Stories
Demi (1998). The Dalai Lama. New York, NY: Henry Holt.
Lee, Jeanne M. (1999). I Once Was a Monkey: Stories Buddha Told. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
McGinnis, Mark W. (2004). Buddhist Animal Wisdom Stories. Boston, MA: Weatherhill.
Silver, Gail (2009). Anh’s Anger. Berkeley, CA: Plum Blossom Books.
Stewart, Whitney (2009). Becoming Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha. Torrance, CA: Heian.
Christianity
Demi (2005). Jesus. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Also by Demi: Mary and St. Francis of Assisi.
DePaola, Tomie (1994). Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland. New York: NY: Holiday House.
Golden Books (1965). The Children’s Bible. New York, NY: Golden Inspirational.
Hunt, Angela Elwell (1989). The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook.
Lankford, Mary (1995). Christmas Around the World. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Lucado, Max (1997). You are Special. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Neale, John (2005). Good King Wenceslas. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.
Pulley, Kelly (2005). The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkidz.
Hinduism
Chandu: Illustrator (2009). Illustrated Mahabharata for Children. Bangalore, India: Vasan Publications.
Demi (2013). The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna. Bloomington, IN: Wisdom Tales.
Ganeri, Anita (2006). Hindu Stories (Traditional Religious Tales). Bloomington, MN: Picture Window Books.
Haynes, Emily (2012). Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Book.
Patel, Sanjay (2011). The Big Posterbook of Hindu Deities. San Francisco: CA: Chronicle Books. Also check out The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow.
Senker, Cath (2003). My Hindu Year (A Year of Religious Festivals). London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton.
Indigenous (US/CANADA) Spirituality
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (2005). Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story
Edwardson, Debby Dahl (2004). Whale Snow
Galvan, Glenda (2011). Chikasha Stories: Shared Spirit
Nelson, S.D. (2012). Greet the Dawn: The Lakota Way
Ortiz, Simon J. (2010). The Good Rainbow Road
Swamp, Chief Jake (1997). Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books.
Waboose, Jan Bourdeau (2000). SkySisters. Toronto: Canada. Kids Can Press.
JUDAISM
Codor’s, Richard (2008). Richard Codor’s Joyous Haggadah: A Children and Family Cartoon Haggadah for Passover Seder. New York, NY: Loose Line Productions, Inc.
Gross, Judith (1992). Celebrate: A Book of Jewish Holidays. New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap.
Hesse, Karen (1992). Letters From Rifka. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Kimmel, Eric A. (1989). Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. New York, NY: Holiday House.
Schwartz, Howard, & Rush, Barbara (1991). The Diamond Tree: Jewish Tales From Around the World. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Wayland, April Halprin (2009). New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story. New York, NY: Dial Books/Penguin Group.
Yolen, Jane (2004). The Devil’s Arithmetic. New York, NY: Puffin Books.
Kwanzaa (Secular)
Medearis, Angela S. (2000). Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
Islam
Addasi, Maha (2008). The White Nights of Ramadan
Addasi, Maha (2010). Time to Pray
Demi (2003). Muhammad. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Jalali, Reza (2010). Moon Watchers: Shirin’s Ramadan Miracle. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House.
Khan, Hena (2008). Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Khan, Hena (2012). Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Mobin-Uddin, Asma (2007). The Best Eid Ever. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
Mobin-Uddin, Asma (2009). A Party in Ramadan. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
Whitman, Sylvia (2008). Under the Ramadan Moon. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
Zen Buddhism
Muth, Jon J. (2002). The Three Questions. Singapore: Scholastic.
Muth, Jon J. (2005). Zen Shorts. New York, NY: Scholastic.
There is a great series where kids can see the inside of traditional houses of worship, and begin to understand the rituals and traditions of world religions. The titles available are:
What Will You See Inside a Catholic Church
What You Will See Inside a Hindu Temple
What You Will See Inside a Mosque
What You Will See Inside a Synagogue
Interfaith & Religious Tolerance
Cohen, Barbara (1983). Molly’s Pilgrim
Polacco, Patricia (1992). Mrs. Katz and Tush. New York, NY: Dragonfly Books. (Jewish and African-American).
Renberg, Dalia Hardof (1994). King Solomon and the Bee. New York, NY: HarperCollins. (King Solomon appears in Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions).
Strom, Yale (1996). Quilted Landscape: Conversations With Young Immigrants. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s.
I would love to bulk up my list, especially this last section! Do you have any recommendations of books about world religions for kids? Do you know of any other books that discuss interfaith relationships for kids? Please let me know in the comments so I can check them out and include them!
What a wonderful resource!! I pinned it. Thanks for putting this together.
You’re welcome! I have been asked about books and have been collecting titles for a while- I finally put them all together:).
Hi Becky – this is a great long list of books! How can I introduce you to Ilyas & Duck books? They would fit perfectly in this list. http://bit.ly/1kyJePm
Oooh, that does look like a good fit! Email me at kidworldcitizen (at) gmail (dot) com
An Incredible and much needed list. Thanks so much.
This is an awesome list! I’m pinning it to draw from when we study world religions! Thank you!!
I am so glad! I contact leaders from each of the major religions to ask their advice on which books were authentic and accurate:). So really it was a huge collaborative between many great people:).
This a really great resource! Awesome!
Some wonderful interfaith books are: Elijah’s Angels; The Trees of The Dancing Goats. Both explore relationships between Jewish children and their Christian friends/neighbors.
Oh I love this! I am writing a post right now that features stories like these, and I will include them!!!