Books for Pagan Children: Preschool (H-J)

Previous

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• Harvest by Kris Waldherr (Fiction)
  
  This lyrical picture book, illustrated in the vibrant oranges, browns, and greens of the season, is sure to please as it captures the magic and warmth of autumn. A charming book to usher in the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

• Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe by Antonia Barber (Fantasy)
  
  The walls of Eastern Europe have recently crumbled to reveal fascinating hidden cultures. To reflect this more open perspective, here is a collection of little-known folk tales from Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Romania. The seven elegantly told and beautifully illustrated tales create a timely collection to stimulate children's interest in their European neighbours.

• How the Cat Swallowed Thunder by Lloyd Alexander (Fantasy)
  
  Mother Holly is tired of Cat's rascally ways. When going out one day, she tells him she doesn't want to see one thing out of place in the house upon her return. Quicker than a cat can pounce, he is in trouble. One mishap leads to another and another. For, unbeknownst to the cat, Mother Holly is no ordinary granny. Her watering can produces spring showers, her bellows bring on the wind, and her popping corn makes thunder. Even when one tiny kernel is swallowed by the cat, it continues to rumble softly in his throat.

• I Stood upon a Mountain by Aileen Lucia Fisher (Fiction)
  
  Standing on top of a mountain, a young child wonders about the creation of the world.

• I'm a Medicine Woman Too!: A Tale of Herbal Wisdom and Personal Empowerment by Jesse Wolf Hardin (Fiction)
  
  Rhiannon is the inspiration and model for this tale of realization and growth, as she first resists believing she could ever be a Medicine Woman like the herbalists and healers she's met... but then realizes the ways in which she is already the woman of power she hopes to be. Included are thirty-five full color illustrations, including eleven frame-worthy depictions of various Medicine Woman archetypes including an Apache with her mano and metate grinding stones, a Hispanic curendara in her adobe Botanica herb shop, and an Anglo teacher, gardener and herb chef.

• Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child by Bob Graham (Fantasy)
  
  Annabelle’s dad has little time for fairies, which he assures her she won’t find in the cement and the weeds of their urban backyard. But Annabelle has lots of time, so she keeps looking - even under her baby brother, Sam. And one day she finds what she’s looking for: a thumb-sized fairy child named Jethro Byrd, whose family has made an awkward landing in a tiny ice cream truck among some discarded bottles and cans. What a wonderful chance to invite all the Byrds for tea with Mommy and Daddy! But why, Annabelle wonders - as the fairies fiddle and sing and dance and whistle away among the cake crumbs - are she and Sam the only ones who can see them?

• Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer, The: A Huichol Indian Story by James Endredy (Myths)
  
  A contemporary adaptation of an indigenous Huichol teaching tale, illustrated with traditional yarn drawings by Huichol artisans.

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Books for Pagan Children: Elementary (A-C)

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists.

• Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories And Celebrations For The Pagan Year by Anika Stafford (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  The book includes a brief introduction to each holiday and an outline of the key pagan concepts and lessons for each story. Readers will follow Aisha to winter solstice, the longest night of the year, when she learns to appreciate the importance of family and figures out how to end a fight with her best friend Heather. During the fall equinox, readers will rejoice with Aisha as she celebrates her many accomplishments over the past year.

• Ancient Celtic Festivals and How We Celebrate Them Today, The by Clare Walker Leslie (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  In a world of electric lights and store-bought foods, The Ancient Celtic Festivals can help children make the connections to nature that their ancestors did. Whimsically illustrated activity pages invite them to bake a harvest corn bread, stage a spring festival, or warm up the cold depths of winter with hot spiced cider. Teachers, librarians, parents, and children alike will welcome this book as a fun-filled resource.

• Atlantis: The Legend of the Lost City by Christina Balit (Myths)
  
  This retelling of the history of fabled Atlantis is based on Plato's Timaeus and Critias. It features a note by internationally known historian Geoffrey Ashe, who has written extensively in the area of mythology.

• Bard's Book of Pagan Songs, A: Stories and Music from the Celtic World by Hugin the Bard (Activity) *PAGAN*
  
  These are the lyrics to just one of the more than fifty songs, chants, and invocations you'll find in A Bard's Book of Pagan Songs by Hugin the Bard. The book begins by explaining the nature of a bard's life. It is more than just singing songs. It is sharing the ancient stories and helping to build the community. It is functioning, when need be, as a spiritual guide. And it is being able to entertain with song.

• Book of Wizard Craft, The: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales & 50 Enchanting Things to Make by Janice Eaton Kilby (Fantasy/Activities)
  
  “Fans of all that is wizardly will love this one.”—School Library Journal. “Lavishly illustrated throughout...the first of its kind, a fabulous fantasy and a how-to crafts book in one.”—Hobby Merchandiser.

• Charge of the Goddess by Darla Hallmark (Activity) *PAGAN*
  
  An elegant recounting of the Charge of the Goddess, fully illustrated in colorable pictures. Fascinating detail, beautiful knotwork borders. Drawn by a noted fantasy illustrator especially for both children and adults to color.

• Children Of The Earth...Remember by Schim Schimmel (Non-Fiction)
  
  A tender lesson of sharing and protecting the Earth, enhanced with stunning artwork.

• Children's Treasury of Mythology by Margaret Evans Price (Myths)
  
  This sterling collection of the best stories from classical mythology especially edited for young readers is a reprinted edition of A Child's Book of Myths (1924) and Enchantment Tales for Children (1926), both graced with the gentle color art of the gifted illustrator Margaret Evans Price. These versions of such ageless myths as Proserpina and Pluto, Atalanta, Hercules, Cupid and Apollo, Pygmalion, Niobe, Prometheus, and others are as clear and beautiful today as they were in the 1920s. The illustrations evoke all the mythical wonder of these tales.

• Conjure Woman, The by William Miller (Fiction)
  
  When their little boy Toby becomes ill, his parents turn for help to Madame Zina, the mysterious conjure woman, who uses the traditional healing ways of their African homeland to make him well.

• Crinkleroot's Nature Almanac by Jim Arnosky (Fantasy)
  
  Born in a tree and raised by bees, Crinkleroot is the perfect nature guide. Who else can hear a fox turn in the forest, or spot a mole hole on a mountain? In this fascinating book, you will learn how to identify different types of wildflowers in springtime, find a beaver dam in the summer, locate owls in fall, and spot rabbit tracks in winter. Hidden puzzles in the art and simple activities like building a birdhouse and creating an autumn leaf book promise hours of fun, even in your own backyard!

Continued

Books for Pagan Children: Preschool (G)

Previous

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• Good Earth Art: Environmental Art for Kids by MaryAnn F. Kohl (Activity)
  
  Good Earth Art contains over 200 easy, fun art projects that develop an awareness of the environment and a caring attitude towards the earth. Projects use common materials collected from nature or recycled. The book is filled with sensible creative ideas to help recycle and reuse through art, for all ages, and includes a charted Table of Contents, two indexes, and a great list of environmental resources.

• Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger (Fiction)
  
  When day is gone, and shadows begin to deepen, it is time for Grandfather Twilight to close his book, put on his jacket, and go for a walk through the forest. Little birds hush as he walks by, and the rabbits and other small creatures watch in silence as he performs his very special evening task and returns to his house among the trees. Small readers and listeners, too, will sense the serenity of this poetic story, and will be comforted to learn that the twilight is a gentle, friendly time. Exquisite pictures extend and illuminate the text, to reveal the nightly miracle so faithfully performed by Grandfather Twilight. Perfect for reading aloud and for sharing at bedtime, this beautiful and reassuring book will be cherished by old and young alike.

• Grandmother Winter by Phyllis Root (Fantasy)
  
  All through the spring, summer and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why? To bring snowfall, of course-snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. With a poetic text and distinctive scratch board illustrations, this book reveals that there is indeed magic and charm in our coldest season. To the woodland and all of its creatures-from round mice curling up and earthworms tunneling down to black bears burrowing and children dreaming of snow angels and sleds-the arrival of winter is, quite simply, a gift.

• Grandmothers' Stories: Wise Woman Tales from Many Cultures by Burleigh Muten (Fantasy)
  
  The stories in this anthology illustrate many of the qualities of the wise woman, offering readers of all ages a new perspective on the grandmother character that is usually presented in fairy tales as either menacingly evil or dim-witted and useless. With spirited grandmothers from as far afield as Senegal and Sweden, all of these tales are rich with humor, action and suspense. A fresh and witty retelling is complemented by finely detailed and mesmerizing illustrations.

• Great Kapok Tree, The: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry (Fiction)
  
  The author and artist Lynne Cherry journeyed deep into the rain forests of Brazil to write and illustrate her gorgeous picture book The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (1990). One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living things depend on one another"... and it works. Cherry’s lovingly rendered colored pencil and watercolor drawings of all the "wondrous and rare animals" evoke the lush rain forests, as well as stunning world maps bordered by tree porcupines, emerald tree boas, and dozens more fascinating creatures.

• Greta's Revenge: More Alice and Greta by Steven J.Simmons (Fantasy)
  
  Two witches have very different views of the world: Alice, who uses her magic to help others, and Greta, who is always conjuring up trouble. In Greta's Revenge, Alice has foiled one of Greta's nasty schemes -- and Greta wants to get even. She casts a spell that makes Alice do mean things. But Greta has forgotten the most important lesson of witch school, the Brewmerang Principle: "Whatever you chant, whatever you brew, sooner or later it comes back to you!" Soon Greta is doing nice things for people. Luckily for both witches, the spell wears off -- but not before Greta has learned a little bit about the value of kindness. Ebullient illustrations perfectly capture the spirit of this clever, accessible, and satisfying tale that's eminently suited for Halloween -- and beyond.

Continued

Books for Pagan Children: Preschool (E)

Previous

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• Earth Mother by Ellen Jackson (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  Earth Mother awakes with the dawn. As she walks the land, swims the seas, and climbs the mountains, nurturing all of creation, she comes across Man, Frog, and Mosquito. They each give her thanks for nature's bounty, yet can't help but give her advice about making their lives better. Everybody's got an opinion, it seems, and Earth Mother is amused when it becomes clear that the circle of life is not without a healthy dose of cosmic humor.

• Earthwise: Environmental Crafts and Activities with Young Children by Carol Petrash (Activity)
  
  Earthwise is full of practical ideas for nature crafts and seasonal activities to encourage young children to be aware of their environment. The activities are carefully written and beautifully illustrated, and will encourage children to develop a respect for nature, the earth and all living creatures. Children will learn about their dependence on the earth's produce (by taking stalks of wheat and turning them into bread-flour); how to create and not just consume (by making their own gifts); how to make butter and grow food (even in the city); and how to make outdoor playhouses from natural materials. The book also contains seasonal suggestions for making a more Earth-friendly home and classroom, and a comprehensive list of resources and suppliers.

• Ecoart!: Earth-Friendly Art and Craft Experiences for 3-To 9-Year-Olds by Laurie Winn Carlson (Activity)
  
  Suitable for ages 3 to 9 years, this work combines the author's intuitive sense of each child's need for self-expression and interaction with nature with her wealth of imaginative experiences. All the projects use recyclable, reusable, household materials and/or items found in nature.

• Elsie and Pooka Stories of the Sabbats and Seasons by LoraCraig-Gaddis (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  In this collection of short stories, children learn about the pagan holidays along with the little witch, Elsie, and her cat, Pooka. The author's humorous and whimsical approach and lavish color illustrations keep children entertained as they follow the adventures of Pooka through the Wheel of the Year.

• Everything Kids' Witches and Wizards Book, The: Bewitch Your Friends, Bedazzle YourParents, and Befuddle Your Enemies! by L.T. Samuels (Fantasy)
  
  Fueled by characters from the wizards of the Harry Potter books to the witches of TV's Charmed, the desire to be a witch or a wizard has never been stronger. The Everything Kids' Witches and Wizards Book is packed with information on tools of the wizard trade -- from wands to brooms to pouches. Kids can learn how to cast spells for friendship, love or good grades, then "brew" potions, predict the future, fend off evil, and much, much, more!

Continued

Books for Pagan Children: Preschool (C)

Previous

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• Cherokee Summer by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith (Non-Fiction)
  
  Color photographs augment this personal profile of Bridget, a ten-year-old girl from Oklahoma who, in many ways, is a typical modern child but who also has strong ties to her Cherokee heritage, including studying her native language.

• Child of Faerie, Child of Earth by Jane Yolen (Fantasy)
  
  According to certain tales, faeries leave the underworld once a year to join in a faerie ring beneath the moonlight. On this magical night, a faerie boy meets a child of the earth and the two become friends forever. Luminous full-color paintings by award-winning artist Jane Dyer add to the magic.

• Children of the Forest by Elsa Beskow (Fantasy)
  
  The children of the forest live deep in the roots of an old pine tree. This book invites children to follow their engaging adventures through each season as they play hide-and-seek with the squirrels and throw snowballs in winter.

• Children's Book of Yoga: Games & Exercises Mimic Plants & Animals & Objects by Thia Luby (Activity)
  
  A unique and original new program of yoga especially designed to appeal to children, this book presents six complete, entertaining yoga workouts for children ages three to 12. The exercises and games are based on imitation of animals, natural forms, and interesting man-made objects chosen because of their natural appeal to a child's imagination.

• Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions by Starhawk,et al (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  In our rushed, stressed society, it's sometimes difficult to spend meaningful time as a family. Now Starhawk, Diane Baker, and Anne Hill offer new ways to foster a sense of togetherness through celebrations that honor the sacredness of life and our Mother Earth. Goddess tradition embraces the wheel of life, the never-ending cycle of birth, growth, love, fulfillment, and death. Each turn of the wheel is presented here, in eight holidays spanning the changing seasons, in rites of passage for life transitions, and in the elements of fire, air, water, earth, and spirit. Circle Round is rich with songs, rituals, craft and cooking projects, and read-aloud stories, as well as suggestions for how you can create your own unique family traditions.

• Color Me a Rhyme by Jane Yolen (Poems)
  
  A collection of nature poems.

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Books for Pagan Children: Preschool (A)

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• ABC Book of Shadows by Katie Lydon Olivares (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  This delightful book uses whimsical and delicate illustrations to present the alphabet while celebrating the magick and ritual of the ways of witchcraft. Witchcraft, often misunderstood, is an earth-based belief respecting natural and personal cycles, as well as indicidual responsibility. ABC Book Of Shadows, a delightfully rhyming book, introduces children of all ages to the magick and mysteries of an ancient wisdom. included is a Witches' Glossary of Terms to help explain the various alphabet words in the book. Hardcover 28 hardbound pages.

• Aidan's First Full Moon Circle by W. Lyon Martin (Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  Aidan and his parents have been solitary witches for as long as he can remember. At the rising of the Harvest Moon, his family is invited to a local coven's Full Moon Esbat celebration. Aidan is jittery about joining a Circle full of strangers. While he is enjoying himself around the bonfire, the High Priestess and his mother cook up a plan to get him involved in the Harvest Moon ritual. Aidan learns he is an important member of the Pagan community.

• Alice and Greta: A Tale of Two Witches by StevenJ. Simmons (Fantasy)
  
  Alice is a good witch. And Greta... well, Greta and trouble are never far apart. Alice spends her time helping others by weaving her enchanting spells. All Greta does is wreak havoc. But when a forgotten spell comes back to haunt her, Greta's stuck learning something she should have learned long ago.

• Alice and Greta's Color Magic by Steven J.Simmons (Fantasy)
  
  Greta's at it again. This time, she casts a spell she knows Alice will hate--one that makes all color in the world disappear! Now Alice may be nice, but a witch has to do what a witch has to do. So Alice casts a spell of her own to teach Greta a lesson. Soon the spells start flying, and before they know it, Alice and Greta have made a color magic mess--every color in the world gets mixed up!

• Amy loves the wind by Julia Hoban (Fiction)
  
  While walking in the park on a windy day, Amy and her mother see what the wind can do.

• Animalia by Barbara Helen Berger (Myths)
  
  Brief tales of wise and holy people who have lived gently with animals, from various countries and cultures, including tales of St. Francis, Buddha, and Siddhartha, and European and Oriental legends.

• Autumn Equinox,The by Ellen Jackson (Non-Fiction) *PAGAN*
  
  Presents facts and folklore about the autumnal equinox, a day that has been filled with magic since ancient times.

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Books for Pagan Children: Infants & Toddlers

It can be difficult to find books for your Pagan children to read. You want books that teach them your values, and maybe something close to your beliefs and traditions.

I have compiled a list of good books by great authors. Many are outright Pagan. Some are Pagan in flavor or Pagan-friendly. I am noting when the author is a confirmed Pagan to encourage support of Pagan authors and artists. If you know an author is Pagan, but they aren't marked as such, send me a message and I will correct it.

• ABC's For the Young Pagan by G. D. Calhoun *PAGAN*
  The author and artist created a delightful book for young pagan children to learn their basic ABC’s. A is for Athame, D is for Dragon and others whimsical entries.

• Rabbit's Song by S.J. Tucker *PAGAN*
  In the time before time, Trickster searches among all the animals for a teacher of man. One by one, he examines and dismisses Bear, Cat, Tiger, Dog and Wolf as being too frightening. Trickster at last settles on the humble and unimposing Rabbit with his companions, Coyote, Raven and Crow as the very beasts to teach the Way of Laughter.

• Rupert's Tales: A Book of Bedtime Stories by Kyrja *PAGAN*
  An enchanting collection of four rhyming bedtime stories, children will be encouraged to discover new ways of exploring and directing dreamtime that comes naturally from their minds and hearts. Meet the very tired and hungry Brody the bat who helps Rupert learn about going to sleep, and a colorful dragon that knows all about dreaming. Merissa the Mermaid and Flora the Frog are the perfect duo to talk about sending bad dreams away and the Guardian of Dreams is there to protect dreamers as they sleep. Inspiration for reluctant and eager sleepers alike can be found in this assortment of charming, creative tales. Stories come to life with 40 delightfully vibrant pastel illustrations that complement creative concepts, influencing the direction and content of children’s dreams―something sure to please the adventurous spirit of every child!

• Smoky and the Feast of Mabon by Catherynne M. Valente
  Upset at the sight of her dying flowers, Smoky goes into the woods where she has always felt safe. Now she's lost! What is that glow in the woods before her? Follow a little girl as she discovers the meaning of Mabon in the wood behind her house, where a magical meal awaits her between the old year and the new year.

• The ABC Book of Goddesses by Selina Wolfcat *PAGAN*
  A beautifully illustrated book with a rhyming verse depicting 26 different Goddesses, arranged alphabetically, from multiple pantheons and cultures from around the world. An excellent introduction for the very young to the wide range of historic and current belief systems.

• When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow
  When a little boy asks this question at the end of a happy day, his mother explains that the wind does not stop-it blows away to make the trees dance somewhere else. Reassuringly, she tells him that nothing ever ends, it simply begins in another place or in another way. Rain goes back into the clouds to create new storms, waves fold back upon the sea to become new waves, and the day moves on to make way for the night, bringing the darkness and stars for the little boy to dream in. Charlotte Zolotow's lyrical prose and Stefano Vitale's rich illustrations make this a beautiful celebration of the cycle of life.