World Faiths Books for Kids and Buddhist Incense Giveaway
Note: Thank you to author Vicki Garlock for providing a book copy to review. All opinions are my own.
Every world religion offers lessons on how to live in peace and harmony with nature and our fellow humans. There are unifying and universal themes woven in all faiths even if day-to-day rituals may differ. Understanding the diversity of faiths beyond where we live can provide children with awareness to help them become global citizens.
Vicki Garlock is the founder of Faith Seeker Kids which offers religious literacy and interfaith education resources for families, teachers, and faith communities. She is the author of the award-winning book We All Have Sacred Spaces and the recently-released Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions.
Read on to learn more about her culturally-diverse books and how to enter the giveaway to win them as well as Buddhist incense!
Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions
Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions features 16 kid-friendly peace-related stories from 8 different world religions that have been passed down through the generations. Religions representing the tales are Sub-Saharan African, Native American, Hindu/Sanatana Dharma, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic.
Geared towards children aged 4 to 10 years old, full-color illustrations enhance each story. To promote engagement and understanding, informational boxes and thought question prompts are woven into every story.
Examples of the stories include:
- Elephant and Hippopotamus Refuse to Fight (Sub-Saharan African)
- Three Tribes Become One People (Native American)
- Krishna Brings Peace to the World (Hindu/Sanatana Dharma)
- Quail King Teaches Cooperation (Buddhist)
- The Guru’s Arrow Brings Peace (Sikh)
- Isaiah Imagines a Peaceful Kingdom (Jewish/Christian)
- The Peace Treaty at Hudaybiyyah (Islamic)
For younger readers, the stories are ideal for bedtime reading with parents. Older readers can enjoy reading the stories on their own as each tale is written at an age-appropriate level.
Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions is an inspiring book that makes ancient literature of the world’s religions easy to read and understand.
We All Have Sacred Spaces
We All Have Sacred Spaces, geared to kids aged 4-10, introduces readers to the everyday spaces where people gather to pray, sing, eat, learn, worship, and celebrate. Children can travel around the world through the book to view the sacred spaces from seven of the world’s major faith traditions. Take a peek inside a Buddhist temple. Learn about cultural traditions such as removing shoes before entering. Readers will begin to see the similarities and differences between each faith.
Written in a kid-friendly manner, the book covers different faiths in a balanced way; it does not favor one over the other. Question prompts help to engage young readers and encourage them to think about how these faiths relate to their own lives. Information on each faith is kept to four pages to keep children engaged without making it feel like a textbook. Full-color real-world photos bring world faiths to life.
This award-winning book has received accolades from many esteemed places. Recognition includes:
- 2021 Bronze “IPPY” Award for Multicultural Non-Fiction Juvenile/YA
- 2020 Gold Winner – Nonfiction Authors Association
- 2020 Finalist, Children’s Religious
2020 Finalist, Children’s Nonfiction
We All Have Sacred Spaces is a “Readers’ Favorite” per Five Star Review and is ideal for parents and educators looking to broaden children’s awareness and understanding of faiths around the world.
World Peace Buddhist Incense
According to ReligiousFacts.com: “In Buddhism, incense burners, or censers, are used in all Buddhist cultures and denominations. The burning of incense takes place both in the home and in the temple and serves as an offering to the Buddha or various deities. It is also an important ritual act that is believed to clear the air of evil spirits.”
As part of the giveaway, a box of World Peace Incense will be included in the gift set. This Buddhist incense includes 45 different ingredients and is prepared according to ancient Tibetan medical texts. It is intended to offer relief from mental strain, stress, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and back and chest pain.
Where to Purchase the Books
Find Embracing Peace: Stories From the World’s Faith Traditions (Paperback, Kindle) and We All Have Sacred Spaces (Paperback) by Reverend Dr. Vicki Michela Garlock on Amazon.
HOW TO ENTER THE WORLD FAITHS BOOKS FOR KIDS & BUDDHIST INCENSE GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]
One lucky reader will win a gift set that includes:
- Embracing Peace: Stories From the World’s Faith Traditions book
- We All Have Sacred Spaces book
- World Peace Buddhist Incense
Enter via the entry form below. The giveaway is open to readers ages 18+ years old with a U.S. mailing address. Good luck!
About the Author
Vicki Garlock earned her Ph.D. with dual specialties in neuroscience and cognitive development. She then served as a full-time Psychology professor at Warren Wilson College for over a decade before becoming the Nurture Coordinator and Curriculum Specialist at Jubilee Community Church in Asheville, NC. While there, she developed an interfaith curriculum for kids aged 3 through high school and was ordained as their Minister of Education. She is the author of the multiple award-winning We All Have Sacred Spaces and the recently-released Embracing Peace: Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions. She is also the founder of Faith Seeker Kids, which offers religious literacy and interfaith education resources for families, teachers, and faith communities. She lives her interfaith life in Asheville, NC. Learn more about Vicki Garlock and her projects at FaithSeekerKids.com.
