Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a frank, lively, and informative guide to the world's religions, Wills and Tomm explore the central tenets of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. For each faith, the text covers its history, origins, and system of belief, and accompanying vibrant, wordless pages are busily filled with the religion's iconic structures, symbolic objects, and practitioners in moments of worship or celebration. Spreads that resemble flowcharts identify many of the items from the illustrations, describing their significance within each faith (and offering a fun seek-and-find element): "In Buddhism, the dragon possesses special powers and stands for rebirth, change, and renewal." It's a hearty celebration of belief and tradition around the globe. Ages 7-10. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Translated from the German, this is a highly visual introduction to Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. After a general overview on religion, each short chapter includes three double-page spreads: a written description of the individual religion; a colorful double-spread scene incorporating many practices and rituals (and sometimes many different countries); and a key to the detailed illustration explaining ceremonies, practices, symbols, and more. (c) Copyright 2019. 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
Words and extensive illustrations describe the beliefs, practices and customs of the followers of five major world religions. People use religion, Wills writes in this German import, to find answers to "life's big questions." While "Rituals and community provide everyday life with structure and give people support through difficult times," belief is personal, and the freedom to choose whether to believe and what to believe is paramount. From the perspective of an effort to understand one another, the text delves into Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. For each religion, a summary describes the major tenets of faith, the sources of the faith's teachings, and some major lifestyle practices and rules. Next, a full double-page spread of colorful illustrations offers scenes from daily life for followers of that faith, including rituals such as weddings, worship, and funerals. Finally, isolated images from the art are described in sentences or short paragraphs. The spreads identify regional specifics, such as the Ganges River, the Temple Mount, and the Great Mosque of Djenn, and represent practices across different cultures. The elaborate illustrations are reminiscent of seek-and-find books and provide much content for young eyes to pore over. Eventually, curiosity about what the people are doing will lead slightly older readers to explore the busy pages of explanations, where difficult subjects such as conflict over holy sites in Jerusalem are handled with care. The focus on the actual practices of the faithful makes this volume a valuable key to understanding our world. A rich and inviting celebration of the human search for meaning. (Nonfiction. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
