Stunning! A fascinating look at life and death through the eyes of people and cultures around the world.

The previous book, An Atlas of Lost Kingdoms, was so delightful I just had to grab this one as soon as I saw it.

And I am so grateful I did! The absolutely gorgeous art continued in this book, and the airy watercolor style really lends itself well to the portrayals of various afterlives.

The locations are grouped by continent and each area is treated with respect. There is no raising up of any culture’s belief over another as the correct way to believe.

In addition, this is a heavy topic and death and what can come after was treated with dignity and a gentleness that I really appreciated. The afterword was particularly lovely.

I will be adding this to my library of books to share with my nephew as soon as it comes out!

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group and to NetGalley for this advance reader’s copy!

What an enthralling read! This is a beautiful exploration of worldwide beliefs of life after death.

I love that it covers such a wide range of afterlife beliefs, both ancient and modern, religious and cultural. Each double page spread is a piece of art adorned with fascinating facts about the afterlife under scrutiny.

With a multitude of uses in the classroom, as well as being a stunning pleasure read to dip in and out of, this is a must have for school libraries.

This was a exciting look at the various forms of afterlife that have been conceived by various cultures around the world. The imagery was lovely and really added to the verbiage.

I love a multicultural approach to religious education! Very beautiful artwork, and very informative for young kids.

An Atlas of Afterlives is a book all about the different beliefs from various cultures and religions from all around the world regarding what happens after death, and where we go when we die. I felt that this was a very interesting topic for a book, especially one aimed at a younger audience, as it is not a topic commonly approached with children and yet it is one we are all somewhat curious about. I found it to be very well-written and informative and I loved learning all about the different afterlives around the world! The illustrations were really beautiful and I loved the layout of the book and how it took me on a journey. I would definitely recommend this to friends and family, as it is a beautiful book and was very interesting to read.

I found this book very interesting. It had a good page to page organization. However I found that it was hard to follow on the page. All of the small blurbs made it hard for me to follow. The illustrations were incredible. I definitely enjoyed how each afterlife story was organized based on the main country it is from.

This book just blew me away. I love it. It is packed with interesting information and stunning illustrations. The topic though is a tad heavy for use in class, so maybe better as a book for reading for pleasure.

Definitely buying a copy when it is out.

This book is so unique and was such a fun journey for both myself and my kids! It take you through the lands of afterlife on each continent. Some I was familiar with, but many were new to me! Hearing these tales and seeing the ways the world handles life and afterlife was really intriguing and we can’t wait to add this to our home library!

I loved this book! The art was gorgeous and the different afterlife explanations are amazing. Great way for kids to learn about other cultures/religions

In An Atlas of Afterlives, Emily Hawkins takes young readers on a simple and thoughtful tour of humanity’s stories all answering the same question – what happens after we die? This beautifully illustrated, atlas-inspired book provides clear background on each story, interesting facts that connect the stories to our modern experience, and simple connections across cultures.

While the layout of the book could provide readers with more direction (which blurb should I read next?), especially since some of the sections built on each other, the content itself is understandable to a broad audience. I especially appreciate the glossary at the end to support a broader understanding, and the thoughtful afterword.

Wonderful book! I loved all of the illustrations and information. The different beliefs on the after life are shown in an easy to read format. The book is set up by continents in each section. Very interesting and would make a lovely hardcover book.

This is a beautifully illustrated book taking children on a tour through different afterlife beliefs across the globe. There is a well-balanced mix of ideas covered, and it isn’t excessively gloomy or morbid - there’s an undertone of comfort throughout many of the pages. Each belief is summarised on a double-page spread, with small paragraphs of text as well as short notes accompanying the images. There’s obviously much more that could be said about each idea, but I think the author has done a fantastic job at summarising and picking out the most engaging parts for the intended audience.
It covers the usual suspects like Hades (Ancient Greek) and Duat (Ancient Egyptian), as well as lesser known destinations like Mictlan (Aztec), Lua-O-Milu (Hawaii), and Adlivun (Inuit). There’s also a blend of world religions, including Jacob’s Ladder (Christianity), Jannah (Islam), and the Buddhist Underworld. My little one (6yo) loved the stories about the different ghost ships and boats, despite these sometimes having the spookiest illustrations spreads!

This book is a great introduction to children new to the world of various cultural afterlives. When it comes to art it is amazingly done and I commend the artist for the style and detail. For young readers, they get a chance to taste each continent’s most prominent modern and ancient religions and cultures.
The only small issues I have with the book is the organization of certain areas, small details, and the modernized views of some art details. This is only noticed as I work and research death ritual and afterlife professionally. This is not a big ding, simply a professional note when it comes to historiography and the compiling of ethnic and cultural study aspects.