Once, when a Christian friend noticed a collection of atheist children's books on my daughter's shelf, she commented, "You seem to be really focused on teaching your daughter that there is no God." The truth is that I'm not at all focused on teaching my child that God doesn't exist. I am, however, intent on teaching her that the universe is vast and beautiful, and that there are many things in the world that defy our imaginations. I personally find the scientific view of creation more beautiful than the tale of a couple in a garden, and, just as religious parents enjoy sharing Bible stories with their children, I enjoy sharing scientific stories with my daughter.
All kids wonder how they got here and where they're going next -- from how they came into their mother's wombs, to how the human race came into being, to how our Earth began its endless spin around the sun. Fortunately, many beautiful, well-written books exist to teach kids a secular, scientific view of our universe. As an agnostic mom, I'm proud to include these books in my daughter's collection.
Here are a few of my favorite creation books for atheist and agnostic kids.
Story of Everything
(Neal Layton)
This vivid pop-up book tells the scientific story of creation, from the big bang to the dinosaurs to the development of humanity. It presents the miracle of life from a bright, exciting format that is interesting for even the youngest of children. This telling is so simplified and brilliantly illustrated that even two- and three-year-olds can grasp its basic concepts. My daughter has me read it to her over and over again.
Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story
(Lisa Westberg Peters)
My three-year-old loves this book, which presents the story of evolution in very simplified terms. Although it's a bit confusing for the youngest of children (as creation stories tend to be), it is at once both poetically written and factual. It tells the story of the evolution of humanity, beginning with single-celled organisms and ending with a modern family standing on the beach. In each section, the book explains how we are still similar to our early ancestors: that we had DNA just like single-celled organisms, that we make milk for our young like the earliest mammals, and that the bones in our hands look almost the same as those of Australopithecus.
Stones and Bones
(Char Matejovsky)
This atheist version of the creation story is beautifully written in poetic verse, melding science and art in one fanciful and heartwarming children's book. Although the rhymes sometimes feel forced or strained, the overall message is compelling. It discusses the specific ages of the Earth, from its creation out of stardust, to the mammals' arrival in the Cenozoic era, to the world we now know as familiar. It's a perfect ashes-to-ashes, era-to-era, stardust-to-humans creation story that is perfect for atheist and agnostic children.
Born with a Bang
(Jennifer Morgan)
The first in Jennifer Morgan's series of Creationist kids' books, "Born with a Bang" is a description of the Big Bang written for the perspective of the Universe itself. It gives the entire story scientifically, with an accurate timeline. In some ways, this story is a little too woo-woo and New Age for the most skeptical of parents. In the story, the universe describes feelings of pride and joy when she created the Earth, and says that she is loving herself by making living things. While I, as an agnostic pantheist, find this story beautiful and compatible with my own beliefs, some hard-line atheist parents may find it overwhelmingly warm-fuzzy.
From Lava to Life
(Jennifer Morgan)
This is the second in Jennifer Morgan's series of atheist-friendly creation stories for kids. This one begins where "Born with a Bang" left off -- at the beginnings of the Earth. The Universe tells how she began to create life from the volatile mess that covered our planet early on. It explains how the universe chose to shape the Earth and how the earliest beings began to appear in the primordial oceans. It moves on to discuss the development of the earliest animals, and later the dinosaurs. Like its predecessor, this one may be a little too pantheistic for some atheist children. However, its overall message is both beautiful and scientific.
Mammals who Morph
(Jennifer Morgan)
The last of Jennifer Morgan's trilogy, "Mammals who Morph," tells the creation of humanity from the Universe's perspective, describing how animals gradually change over time, and how humans began to develop among the mammals. My only criticism of this book is that, while it does acknowledge that we are continuing to evolve, it does place unfair emphasis on the earth and on humans as the triumph of creation. Personally, my philosophy is more holistic, and I'd like to see broader emphasis on life itself -- in all its forms. Nevertheless, my little freethinker and I did enjoy this beautiful, scientific creation story. I'm happy to say that, while I don't have all the answers, I can turn to my daughter's library any time that she needs help understanding where she came from and what role she plays in our ever-changing world.
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