Member Reviews
A great little graphic novel that focuses on Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Interesting content presented in a way that is perfect for middle-level readers,
This was an interesting, though shallow, exploration into the three major Abrahamic religions. I did find some aspects of it to be interesting and think that some kids would benefit from the understanding. But I felt as though it really didn't cover enough of any of the three religions to really teach children who would be age appropriate for this book. I think that it could use some more pages with more depth in order to be a beneficial book for upper elementary school students (as I cannot imagine this book being used for lower than that) to comprehend the religions a bit better. It wasn't a bad book. I just did not think that it was as thorough as it could have been.
This sample is interesting and intriguing. It tells the story of some of the major world religions in a clever way. It should engage its young readers. For example, there is a section called “identity cards” with one for Abraham, Ishamael, Jesus, Mary and others. Along with age appropriate information, this book has inviting cartoon-like illustrations. It is a good guide for learning a bit about different faiths.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Given the complexity of the Abrahamic faiths, and the fact that this format has to sum up everything in a really short space with really simplistic dialogue, it's hard to say if this book will really work or just be reductionist, ending with a few kids yelling out the religious buzzwords they remember. That being said, it is well put together.
This book tackles the similarities and differences of the monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Starting with Abraham, the author charts the development of three religions which can all trace their roots back to the same man. She explores the different ways that each religion treats the prophets, sacred writings, prayer etc.
As I only received a sample and not the whole book to review, I have been cautious in awarding stars. What I read so far seems to take a balanced approach and I think this would be a useful book to have in a school library, however I would like to read the whole book before recommending it.
I received a sample of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received a ARC short version of Investigate! A look at Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. This text is geared towards children. The three religions have the same origins but are different on how they view God. It is important for Christians to know these differences to defend their faith. This book is not geared to oust any of these religions but is to inform. It looks at different practices, how worship is done, and prayer.
I enjoyed reading this for myself and I think it is valuable resource for families.
A special thank you to Lion Hudson Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
This is a great unbiassed and comprehensive guide to the major religions.
The format is engaging and full of infographic-like pages that explain how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam differ, as well as the similarities between them.
It addresses a number of common questions about religions and makes the topics easy to understand for kids, as well as being engaging.
Many thanks to Lion Children's Bks and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Investigate! Religion is a good book to learn about the religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It starts with how these religions were formed and explain the similarities in origins and faiths. It is a good introductory book about religions. However, the presence of references would have made the content more authentic. It was also a little bit difficult to read the text in the soft copy version.
A bit of background about me: I am Head of Religious Studies at my school and, whilst I would probably consider myself agnostic, I respect the beliefs of others and I feel it is important, as individuals, to learn about others as much as we can. Probably why I'm a sociology teacher too, and history...and geography. Anyway, you get the picture. So I was quite interested in the book when it popped up on my Netgalley page.
I would say the book is aimed at children in KS2 (up to around 10/11) and is a way of introducing them to the three monotheistic faiths. The book indicates that some cartoon characters are going to learn about the religions alongside them, but I don't think that's really what happened in the book. There seemed to be a little cartoon at the start of every chapter and it wasn't necessarily about the characters in them learning anything.
The book gives a very basic background to Islam, Christianity and Judaism: where they started from, key people, key prayers and holy books etc. It was written in a very clear way which ensures there will be no confusion for children of the target age. The one thing I would say is that key vocabulary (on the white scrolls) were sometimes not on the same page or even chapter of where the word first appears. From experience, I find that this could be confusing to some students.
I am also not sure that all information in the book is completely correct. I wouldn't say that most people in the Protestant church are evangelical (depends what country, I suppose) and the book states that the Five Pillars are he bedrock of all Muslim practice. This isn't true. It is true for Sunni Muslims (and the imam who looked this over is Sunni, I presume), but Shi'a Muslims follow the 10 Obligatory Acts, not the Five Pillars.
I did not find the book biased towards any religion and it does not promote belief in a religion either, which I think is very important in books like this.
Translated from French, the author wrote about the monotheism religions: Jewish, Christianity and Islam that intertwined since before the time. So if you look for another religion, it wouldn't be explained here.
These three religions were founded roughly in the same area, same timeline, but somewhere in time, they separated into 3 different (but similar) ones. Christianity and Islam even shared the same prophets. But the book was created with Christian minds, so it will be focused on Christianity and how it is different from the other two religions.
Through the explanation given, although not quite thorough for one to know the essential of it, at least a child would be able to understand about the differences.
Investigate! Religions is a nonfiction book that helps middle-level readers learn about three different faiths. It is designed to fit a graphic novel format that I think will appeal to middle-level readers. The text and ideas behind this book are complex. It would be the best fit for middle level readers. It is just a bit deep and complicated for most elementary readers.
Just an interesting book, loaded with information for the little minds. Easy enough to read that any and everyone can understand. I like that not only do they have topics like Religions but other too, it's a great book in a digest format. Highly recommend
I absolutely love reading the sample of 37 pages!
I cannot wait to read and recommend the whole book!
The presentation is so fun and entertaining to read focusing on history of religion and explaining well who the main pioneers were when it comes to different religions.
I love how the book gives a wholesome glance of the origin and how religions are different.
And yes, time to clear up some doubts and basic arguments. Perfectly illustrated and well written!
I wonder how amazing the whole book is going to be!
Thanks publisher for the sneak peek.