The Children's Encyclopedia of Heaven

By Anita Ganeri

Explore the joys of heaven through the eyes of many different cultures and religious belief systems. Learn about a variety of hosts inhabited by varying views of the "Great Beyond." Color... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1902618122
• ISBN13: 9781902618128
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.5" x 0.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Melting Pot of Heavenly Thoughts

Less an encyclopedia and more a richly illustrated compendium of thoughts on heaven, Ganeri's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Heaven offers glimpses of the afterlife through diverse eyes: from eight-year-olds to the traditions of many of the worlds' major religions. Illustrations also run the gamut from rather child-like drawings of angels to reproductions of some of the world's most famous artworks depicting life, death, and the afterlife. Clearly written text is engaging, whether answering questions about traveling from earth to heaven, or detailing a ten-year-old's emotional journey when his grandmother dies. The text flows nicely through much of the volume, mostly a retelling of religious beliefs. Thoughts on life and death, angels, heavenly places, and "heaven on earth" are told in a soothing, non-judgmental manner. The only unexpected inclusion is the section on "Heavenly Bodies." Yes, this is an "encyclopedia," but a ten-page section on astronomy seems slightly out of place among the flowing illustrations and gentle text. The final, more frightening chapter on "Hell" is followed by an uplifting but vague treatise on the uncertainty of the existence of Hell, and a charge to the young reader to create "your own heaven." A nicely developed index and bibliography follow for those interested in more specific aspects of heaven.