Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-7. As the title suggests, the Maestros have taken on the subject of religion in its entirety, beginning with how religion evolved. First, primitive people wondered about things they could not understand. Next came the stories that explained those events, and polytheism arose. The book quickly surveys the Egyptians, Greeks, ancient Mayans, and early Chinese religions, such as Taoism and Confucianism, and then moves on to Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each religion is presented in only a couple of illustrated pages of text that manage to emphasize important points. The artwork, executed in colored pencil, ink, and watercolor, is varied and lively, with the illustrator looking to each religion's artistic traditions for inspiration. However, the format, which has the look of a picture book, is very crowded and, like the text, tries to fit a lot of information into a limited space. In closing, the Maestros volunteer some thoughts on religious diversity. Information on sacred books, festivals and holidays, other religions, and the Golden Rule as it appears in various faiths is appended. A useful, chock-full offering. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
By beginning with humankind's earliest religious beliefs and ending with humanity's organization of these beliefs, the Maestros lead children on a whirlwind tour of the world's great religious traditions. They begin by pointing out that, despite the diversity of religious traditions, human questions about the creation of the world and the meaning of death are universal. They move from animistic beliefs of early tribal religions to the mythic religious structures of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman religions to the monotheism of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and the polytheism of Hinduism and Buddhism. The authors weave the beliefs, myths and practices of each religion into a narrative tapestry that, they believe, demonstrates the unity lying beneath the diversity of all religions as well as the dynamic character of these religious traditions in today's world. Included in the book are brief sections describing the sacred texts, festivals and holidays. There is also a short description of other religions, such as Zoroastriansim, that are not included in the book itself, and the Maestros list the various ways in which different religions express their own versions of the maxim "All things you want people to do to you, do so to them." Color drawings of the gods, founders and important practices of each religion, like a Hindu family offering a sacrifice at their home shrine, bring these religions to life. Ages 7-9. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5Using the same large format as the Maestros' The Discovery of the Americas (Lothrop, 1991), Betsy Maestro has written a fine basic introduction to religion. It is quite an ambitious effort to look at the development of various beliefs in a way that can be understood by fairly young children, but she succeeds admirably. Beginning with early polytheistic beliefs in multiple spirits or gods and goddesses, and their usual strong link to nature, the author moves on to introduce Taoism and teachings of Confucius, Hinduism and Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Even though the coverage of each is only a few pages, the author clearly explains the development of the religion and its major tenets. She takes the viewpoint that all religions are equally valid, and tries to show ideas and customs that are found in most faiths, thus showing children the diversity of beliefs in the world and encouraging tolerance and understanding. The text is written as a long essay rather than being broken into chapters, but there is an index at the front of the book. Giulio Maestro's art tries to capture the artistic tradition of the dominant culture of each religion discussed while showing major symbols or important events. This means that the book may have less artistic unity than most of his books, but it meshes very well with the text. The different styles reinforce the uniqueness of each tradition. An attractive, interesting, and informative title.Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Profusely illustrated with color artwork, the book presents a succinct and interesting overview of world religions. The origins and traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are discussed in the respectful text, which also touches on other faiths. The final section lists sacred books and holidays of the religions and compares variations of the golden rule. Ind. From HORN BOOK 1996, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An illustrated synopsis of the genesis and basic ideas of each of the world's major religions, as well as of some minor ones. Among the back matter is a list of sacred books, another of major festivals, and an interesting compilation of the various renderings of the Golden Rule, a form of which exists in almost all systems of belief. Betsy Maestro (with Giulio Maestro, The Discovery of the Americas, 1991, etc.) begins carefully, earnestly preaching the importance of diversity and balance, and taking for granted that religions are not handed down by deities but evolve from a people's own need to find meaning in life. She gallops through primitive religions, and hits her stride when she begins telling about the actual beliefs and histories of various cultures, beginning with the Chinese. Given the space limitations of the picture-book format, these are elegant and precise pieces. Giulio Maestro's beautiful illustrations are done in an array of styles, often reflecting the motifs and palettes of the culture under discussion. Most children will want to know more, but there is no bibliography nor list of further reading. Still, this is, in many ways, a revelatory work and a provocative introduction to a complicated subject. (index) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-11)
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