Best Philosophical Story Books for Children: Introducing Wisdom and Philosophy through Stories

Parents always want to impart the best education to their children. They want their children to have the best sources of learning, and one of the best learning sources for children is the one within; when they start self-questioning, they will be willing to find the answers. To develop the skill of self-questioning, first, your child needs to be introduced to the world of philosophy. You may think it is a huge term for a tender age, but no, the sooner your child is introduced to philosophy, the more broad their thinking will be.

The best way to introduce your children to philosophy is to inculcate the habit of reading. First, let them read general storybooks, then later, you can introduce your children to the books with philosophical themes. If you don’t know which books to select, here is a list of the best philosophical storybooks for children. Once your child is introduced to the world of philosophy, you don’t know what wonders they can do.

#1. Frog and Toad Together – Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel is one of the most recommended philosophical storybooks for children. It is a picture storybook, illustrated by Arnold Lobel, the second book in the four-part series of Frog and Toad. The book consists of five short stories, with Frog and Toad being the central characters.

The short stories instil some philosophical themes like bravery, dreaming, willpower, and others. The short stories are easy to read for children, and they would read the book with keen interest as it has illustrations in it, and the stories are full of fantasy and adventure.

#2. Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy – Jostein Gaarder

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder is another prominent name amongst the best philosophical storybooks for children. It is a Norwegian novel published in the year 1991, but it has been widely acknowledged around the globe and has been translated into 59 different languages.

The novel follows the story of Sophie Amundsen, a teenager in Norway who meets a middle-aged philosopher named Alberto Knox. From there begins the journey of the history of philosophy. The book isn’t a nonfiction account of philosophy but instead a fictional story about the history of philosophy, making it an interesting read for children.

#3. Harold and the Purple Crayon – Crockett Johnson

This book is the most well-known work of the author Crockett Johnson. Harold and the Purple Crayon is a children’s book, based on the theme of making one’s reality. It is common for kids to create their own world and characters in their childhood. The story will make the children think about why they pretend and how it can affect them.

The story is of a four-year-old boy named Harold, who, with his purple crayon, can create anything he wants simply by drawing it. Harold wishes to walk in the moonlight, but there is no moon, so he simply creates the moon by drawing it. He draws a path to walk when he doesn’t have one. Harold draws a forest where he wanders. In this way, Harold goes on drawing many things which mesmerise or frightens him.

#4. The Complete Philosophy Files – Stephen Law

If your child often asks questions like “What is God?”, “Does God exist?” or any question that you were stunned to hear, then this is the best book for your child. Even if they don’t ask such questions, they will admire this book.

The Complete Philosophy Files by Stephen Law discusses different philosophical questions in each chapter. The author first introduces the topic of each chapter and later uses dialogues to explain the particular arguments for the topic. Humorous illustrations appear in the book to illustrate the dialogues. Different topics like Should I eat meat?, Where did the Universe come from?, But it is Science?, and many other such questions are discussed in this book.

#5. How to Live Forever – Colin Thompson

It is said that every book has its own world. Well, what if that world comes alive from the book? If your children often ask such fascinating questions, then give them this book to read. How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson is a fascinating illustration book where the world of books comes alive in the library.

The story is about how every night, the library comes alive after the closing hours. Every book’s world comes alive, making it a miniature city in the library. A boy named Peter in the library knows about a book that will lead to immortality and sets out to find it out. The boy meets Ancient Child, who is the only one to read the book. And further, the boy has to make a profound choice.

6. Why? – Lindsay Camp

The most common and annoying question amongst the kids is “Why?” Children can go on asking this question, and there is no end to this. Such is the story of one of the best storybooks for kids, Why? by Lindsay Camp, illustrated by Tony Ross. The story is about the most annoying question and how that question saves the planet. It can help your child to know the question “Why?” leads to and could add up more to their curiosity.

The story follows Lily, a little girl who always asks “Why?” to anything that happens around her. Every time Lily asks “Why?” to her father, her father tries to respond to her, but sometimes when he is occupied, he says, “It just does, Lily. It just does.” And one day an alien spaceship lands to destroy the planet. As per her habit, Lily  goes on to ask a series of “Why?” questions to the aliens, and when they have no answer to Lily’s “Why?” questions, they leave.

Conclusion

These are some of the books which would introduce your child to philosophy. Alongside these books, you can also check our other blogs for some of the best Indian storybooks for children to encourage a reading habit. Along with the reading, your child can also take up online classes with the Real School Of Montessori for a better learning experience. The one-to-one mentorship at the Real School Of Montessori aims to nurture young learners into creative problem solvers and innovators. To know more, visit their website and book a masterclass.