Religions Explained: A Beginner's Guide to World Faiths (Henry Holt Reference Book)

An illustrated history of world religion ranges from the ancient beliefs of Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and the Americas to the origins and practices of modern faiths, discussing the worship, festivals, and tenets of each religion.

Grade 4-7. This book demonstrates the variety of world religions and presents a few of their most basic beliefs, practices, and histories, but offers little beyond a general introduction. Beginning with the ancient religions of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Mexico, Peru, and the Norse, Ganeri goes on to cover the "People of the Book" (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam); religions of India, China, and Japan; and the "spirit religions" of North and South America, Africa, and Australasia. She even more briefly describes "new religions" such as Rastafarianism, Baha'ism, Hare Krishnas, Mennonite, Mormon, the Unification Church, and New Age. The text is clear and maintains respectful objectivity, though some devout believers will object to various choices of illustrations, which seem to have been made to attract readers' attention rather than to explain the faiths (e.g., the swastika as a Hindu symbol). Although the topics are well organized, the book is dominated by its striking, full-color photos on every page. Betsy and Giulio Maestro's The Story of Religion (Clarion, 1996) explains the major religions in fewer words but in greater detail. Its color drawings and paintings concentrate on essentials rather than flashiness. For slightly older readers, Mary Pope Osborne's One World, Many Religions (Knopf, 1996) provides considerably more information but covers only the seven largest religions. Ganeri's book will work well with children who need an overview of religions other than their own.?Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6. Although there are several series books that use similar formats in their religion books (lots of color graphics, insets with extra information), this entry in the Your World Explained series is more crisply written and offers wider coverage than most. The book not only devotes several pages to each of the major religions but also gives briefer looks at less widely practiced religions, such as Sikhism, Jainism, the spirit religions of South and North America, Africa, and Australasia, and new religions such as Rastafarianism and Bahaism and the Hare Krishna and New Age movements. A useful, attractive book to enliven the 200 shelves. Ilene Cooper