A Book About Who Made the World for a 4-Year-old

I have found that the best thing to tell a child is that no one truly knows how everything came to be, but in our family we believe...xyz...

Unless your belief is faith based, I believe you should never say "this is exactly how it happened" because you really don't know. Popular scientific theories are constantly changing (i.e. global cooling in the late 1800's to global warming in the 1930s, back to global cooling in the 1970's and now back to global warming - WHAT HOG WASH!!). Anyone that bases their beliefs on only science should know that these things are THEORIES and not facts and should be presented as such. Just my opinion though.

I also want to add that whatever your belief, please make it plain to your daughter that others are going to believe in different things and that's okay too. We don't all have to agree in order to be friends. Identical ideologies are not a prerequisite for friendship.

Hi S.,

Too bad she's a "little" young for Hawking's GRAND DESIGN.
It's wonderful! (Maybe you could check it out and paraphrase it for her.)

Good luck with THIS one! ;)
"Grams"
from the Pocono Mts. of PA

My daughter's secular co-op school spends the first month of every school year talking about different creation myths from around the globe. Just because she learns about it, doesn't mean she believes in it. I think it's a good idea to tell her all the stories before some fanatical "you're going to hell if you don't see it my way" type gets to her first. That can be scarey and confusing for a child.

I know that wasn't what you were asking, though. :)

I teach science and I haven't come across a book about the creation/ development of the universe aimed at such a young child. (I haven't really looked too hard, though.) It's an idea that has a lot of components that I think a small child would have a hard time piecing together. You can explain it in a few words/ ideas, though. I'm on board with saying, "no one knows for sure, but we think..." because science is about what we conclude based on emperical evidence at hand. Emperical evidence is never ever complete, though, so we should not place total faith in our theories as so much in the universe has yet to be understood.

I know you want books without God, but there are creation myths from other cultures that 'explain' who the world came to be. They are very accessible to children. While not factual, they tell a story. My son has loved space and astronomy since he was 3. I would check with your children's librarian for suggestions on science books.

It sure is easier to just say God made the world!
Just remember you want to express your belief to your child without creating a "the other kid is wrong" effect.
This is a perfect opportunity to go read up on your belief, and talk through the basics with your 4 yr old.
I saw something on Discovery channel that went through this topic in an hour.
Maybe you can download such an episode and then watch it for yourself.... and just sort of go through it again with your child , fast forwarding to the main points or whatever.
good luck

Evolution does not involve God whatsoever. Evolution is something believed by others to explain where everything that is in existence. If you believe in God Almighty, read children's book in Genesis where everything and how everything came into being. I personally don't homeschool my children about evolution...only the Bible and it's part of education and part of devotional time. (Come on now, look at this beautiful creation, trees for instance. They change colors and bud at the right time, look at bees and insects how they do things to communicate to one another and how they live and survive!! There's got to be GOD ALMIGHTY who made this world and everything in it. Miracle of how babies are created and formed....it can go on and on.) Will children at age 4 understand the word "myth"? No. Just remember that he will always ask questions, but how you answer and what you answer with and how you raise him, you are held accountable with God. Now, isn't it amazing when they ask questions and it makes you stop and think, hmmmmm, how does it work, or this or that. I love it and they sure make me think about my actions and what I say.

I love this question! I have been wondering the same thing. I am still trying to figure out a way to explain all the different religious beliefs that are not my own to her as well as the science.
I will check out some of these books from the library.