Annabelle & Aiden: Oh, The Things We Believed!

JR Becker has done it again, the second book in his Annabelle and Aiden series is just as fabulous as the first! Oh, The Things We Believed is a wonderful introduction to philosophy for young children. It discusses creation myths in an unbiased secular way through delightful lyrical prose and captivating illustrations. In just a matter of days this has become one of my daughter's favorite books along with Becker's first Annabelle & Aiden book, The Story of Life. These superb stories are sure to entertain and educate both children and parents and are likely become favorites in your home as well.

Both this and The Story of Life are absolute favourites in our house.The story of how we came to believe what we believe (our superstitions and fancies) is told in a wonderful, flowing, poetic style. It encourages my children to question while keeping them entertained.It also never came across as condescending to those who may believe in things I personally might find superstitious.The artwork is stunning and is the perfect companion to the story. Can't wait for the next one!

Bought this book for my 14 month old son. The concepts are a little ahead of him but it’s so incredibly beautifully illustrated that it doesn’t matter - for now he’s happy to look at the pictures and point. This book is so smart. It presents complex information (for a small person) in a clear and relateable way. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone and I can’t wait to add the other two to our collection. The authors / illustrators have done a stellar job here.

Simply amazing. I had read a lot about this book, and I'm so glad I bought it for my children. It's beautifully illustrated and fantastically written story, my 7 year olds loved it! I hope it will encourage them to think and question beliefs as they grow up. It encourages learning, which is already something they love, so anything that helps them carry on loving learning.

Rather than a story with some internal structure, this is more of an abstract allegory that often reads like an incoherent rant. An adult can understand what the author is trying to convey, but it will fly over a child's head and leave them confused as to what the story (if you can call it that) was all about. It left me disappointed.