Children's Book of Philosophy: An Introduction to the World's Great Thinkers and Their Big Ideas

by Sarah Tomley, Marcus Weeks

Children are great at asking the big questions: Where did I come from? Why does the world exist? What is real? Encourage your child's curiosity with DK's Children's Book of Philosophy, a kid-friendly handbook to some of life's biggest questions - because it's never too early to start thinking about thinking. The Children's Book of Philosophy lays out philosophical questions with engaging graphics that are fun and easy for kids to process. We've included biographical information, timelines, and conceptual thinking, all with inviting images. Children learn that their questions are important and have been pondered by famous philosophers for years. The content is geared toward the specific questions of 21st-century kids, so the information is relevant and interesting. Looking for a child's first philosophy book to encourage your young thinker? With the Children's Book of Philosophy, you've found it!

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Childrens, Reference

144 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2015

Reviews

[Menglong Youk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Children's Book of Philosophy" brings children and adults alike into the realm of philosophy where everything we take for granted is questioned. "Is the world real?", "what I am?", "what is happiness?", "Why do people suffer?", "how do we decide what is right?", just to name several, are what will be discussed here. The book doesn't do the thinking for readers; instead, it offers various alternative points of view to us to exercise our thought and reasons.

With colorful images and illustrations, "Children's Book of Philosophy" provides readers a reliable companion when they need a guide to philosophy's world. One more thing, do not let the word "children" fool you. As an [sort of] adult, this book makes me question whether I know anything about this subject more than a kid does.

[J.J. Rodeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had an inclusive and comprehensive approach. It mentioned the thoughts of western and eastern philosophers and it covered various fields of philosophy. Although I had some difficulty following the pattern of the topics in the book, I believe that the authors had managed to present different philosophical ideas and problems in an easy and fun way for children.

[K8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primarily Western and mostly male, but it does do a very good job of breaking down complex ideas in ways that are easily comprehensible.

[Quí Hiển · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuốn này được cái thú vị và nhẹ nhạng cho thiếu nhi, nhất là vô cùng bổ ích các thiếu nhi 15 tuổi bị học mấy cái "triết học" trong môn giáo dục cô dâu. Tuy nhiên 1 cái thiếu sót của DK khi làm cuốn này là nó chưa lật lại vấn đề nhiều như các cuốn triết học hình khác mà mình từng đọc. Nếu thiếu nhi không biết tự vấn thì dễ cho rằng ý kiến của ông triết gia nào cũng đúng và sẽ bị bối rối.

Các thiếu nhi (hoặc phụ huynh của thiếu nhi) nên chuẩn bị tiền mua vì sắp có bản tiếng Việt.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, great, great "introduction to the world's great thinkers and their big ideas." Loved it.

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes on the challenging task of explaining big ideas in a simple way, and it does an admirable job. Readers as young as eight or nine will be able to follow along and contemplate questions about topics such as the nature of reality, personal identity, ethics, and social justice. Along the way, they're presented with historical context and biographical information about specific philosophers. Although there's a lot of information and intellectual discussion in here, it's presented in a way that is child-friendly, neatly organized, and not at all inimidating. Subheadings divide the text into paragraph-sized chunks. These are interspersed among colorful pictures and graphics. Each double-page spread is headed with a question like "How do I know if I am real?" or "Can we think without language?" (except for a few which are headed with an individual philosopher's name or the title of a thought experiment) Throughout the book, the language is concise and jargon is kept to a minimum.

I do have couple minor quibbles about the organization of topics towards the end of the book. I felt that the jump from personal ethics to human rights was very abrupt, and then it felt like backtracking when the book moved on to the discussions about government and society. These deliniations would be much smoother if there was more space dedicated to asking questions about basic needs and human rights. (Do all people need the same things? What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to have rights? Do all people have the same rights?) These topics are all addressed so briefly that it feels like we're suddenly being asked to make assumptions about morality and equality, when it's been all quesetions and no assumptions up to that point.

But overall, this book is a wonderful overview of philosophy. It's fun and easy to read, it's informational and educational, and it encourages kids to ask questions and develop critical thinking skills.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to start by saying, I wish this was titled with a word other than ‘Children’s’... as a 4th grade teacher I know a small handful of students who would have really enjoyed this book. Overall it seems to be more of at a 5th grade or middle school level of interest/reading level. By that time, kids are less inclined to pick up a book with the word ‘Children’s’ on it (even though they are such).

This book does a good job of providing insight into a range of philosophical concepts. However, having a philosophically minded peer or adult to discuss their reading with would make any given section more meaningful. Additionally, the overviews provided assume/hope for background knowledge of a WIDE range of historical contexts and specific events which help contextualize them. Going in with this knowledge may be helpful, so the reader can have a device or YouTube handy to get additional info.

The sections on Eastern philosophy or which mention their possible interpretation of a question make up less than a 1/10 of the book by my estimation.

[Carissa Mclain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the topic of philosophy for students. It tells children that they too can be philosophers and encourages them to think for themselves. The words and visuals are laid out in a way that makes the topic of philosophy fun instead of overwhelming or boring. I would like to read this book with students because history and science lessons could be taught with this book and topics are presented in such a fun way. I think children would enjoy reading some of this book then becoming "philosophers" themselves in the lesson to follow.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sometimes undercuts the pursuit of truth to promote directionless questioning, but it provides an excellent children's introduction to philosophical disciplines, issues to ponder, and significant thinkers throughout history. I appreciate how the book explains philosophical questions and their different suggested answers without biasing or contriving the presentation to indoctrinate a particular worldview.

[el ⁎༄ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open the book, turn the next page and discover the wonders of philosophy. Endless questions, what are the answers? This book gives off a mysterious atmosphere as you learn about everything you know in deeper detail. Does nothing exist?

I have learnt a lot from this book and would recommend it to children ages 9+

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it - I checked out this book at the library for me, an almost 40 year old, to brush up on some basics. I'm glad I did. I find that going to the "kid" section for refreshers and introductions on certain topics to be beneficial. This book on philosophy is no exception.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a good overview of philosophy.

[Lilly-Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The children's book of Philosophy is a wonderful novel.

[Moirad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, written at just the right level for me.

[Amphitrite · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introductory guide for those curious about philosophy

[Kishore Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, children should learn the various world philosophies to be ready for what comes. Great approach. Our family is looking forward to future editions. Good job!

[Việt Phạm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This includes many questions that I asked my self and the world when I was a child...

[Sortal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a colourful and engaging introduction to metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, ethics, and political philosophy. It's focuses almost exclusively on Western philosophy and almost all of the philosophers are men, but the same can still be said of many university's philosophy departments.

In the contents, the book proudly quotes, "Philosophy is not a theory but an activity." Unfortunately, the book doesn't live up to this. There's one page on syllogisms and falsificationism's briefly mentioned, but children aren't given the tools to evaluate arguments.

The book ends on the infuriating note, "You can't be right or wrong. The questions might have lots of answers, or none at all. Just start wondering - that's what philosophy is all about." This grossly misrepresents philosophy and does children a real disservice by underestimating their ability to think critically and argue for which answers are best - THAT is what philosophy is all about.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Children’s Book of Philosophy introduces children to the ideas of big thinkers in an engaging and colorful format. Questions such as “How do I decide to do what is Right?” “Why do we need Rules”, “What and I?” “Are People Naturally Good or Bad?”are explored with examples that are common questions. Also explored are the other big conundrums such as “Difficult Choices” in which several scenarios are presented that likely occur in the lives of children. These involve questions about cheating, calling the police to report a theft, stealing and snooping on a phone. These thought provoking examples are a fine introduction to questions children will face as adults. The lack of a clear answer encourages further pondering and thought. A most engaging book that could be explored by parent and child together

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cool book! Big concepts are presented in simple terms to make them accessible to children and adults alike. The bright graphics excellently highlight the text. The book was organized very well, divided into larger sections covering broad themes in philosophy, with biographies of famous philosophers and fascinating thought experiments interspersed throughout. In the tradition of philosophy, you're never told what to think but instead offered a variety of opinions and theories, and asked questions that make you ponder what you personally believe and why.

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book that simplifies complex information about philosophy. It makes for some productive reading for both children and adults. I am a huge supporter of busting fallacies about unpopular or misunderstood topics. DK has always been a pioneer in circulating interesting material, and I was immensely happy to discover that they included and presented philosophy in a cool and relevant manner, like it is supposed to be.

[Kim Song · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book the local library because I wanted a quick overview of different philosophies. I needed a place to start so I can dive deeper into philosophies that interests me. The book does a great job explaining the basics of different philosophies. I recommend it for children and adults!

[GW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't let the term kid's guide fool you. For a novice like myself I found this collection of different philosophies very significant. But this will wrap up my study on the subject and now I plan more classics.

[Brodie McGovern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think more adults should read this book! It's amazing and presentation can attract readers at their owl level. Highly recommend.

[Opal Penny]

It was so interested all in the questions!