Sacred Myths: Stories of World Religions

At least one way of fostering tolerance and understanding is to introduce children to the grand diversity of the world's religious traditions and narratives. McFarlane has selected some of the best-known stories from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Native American religions and has rendered them in accessible prose with full-color, almost holographic, illustrations. McFarlane retells the myths of the founders of each of these religions, as well as the myths which narrate specific events such as the creation of the world. Thus, the author captures the beauty of the prophetic dream, telling her that her newborn son will become a great spiritual leader, that Siddhartha's mother allegedly had just before the birth of her son. She also narrates the myths surrounding the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesh, and his adventures. Since the tales McFarlane has chosen to include are key texts in the world's religions, the collection represents a very good introduction to these traditions. In addition to the 35 stories collected here, McFarlane has included a glossary, a pronunciation key, introductions to each section and a list of books to encourage further reading. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)