About a year or so ago, I received a review copy of the Indescribable Activity Book for Kids by Louie Giglio. It arrived in all its new book glory looking exactly like this:
Then it promptly disappeared.
The next time I saw it, it looked like this:
Ok. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. This is what it looked when I found it in the back of my car after more than a few trips to Houston and back. The window for review was long closed, the book was well loved, and I’ve had more than just a little guilt nagging at me because I never reviewed it.
So, when I received a review copy of Indescribable Atlas Adventures, I jumped at the chance to make it right and review two for one! I also threatened my kids with their lives (or technically their electronic devices) to leave it be until I wrote the review. That’s not exactly what happened, but while the book has been read more than a few times, it is, at least, still holding together and looking presentable.
And, we love it.
My kids love animals and science, and I love geography and culture. It’s a perfect fit for our family…even if my kids are getting older. That just means they can read it for themselves and find all the little facts it features in its colorful pages.
First, they found the page they knew I’d be looking for and gleaned a bit of information I’ve never given them. Then they began looking for countries they’ve heard about in the news as well.
We’ve been doing Classical Conversations for the past two years so I appreciate the snippets of history that are included in the atlas because the girls recognized names and places from their Foundations memory work. (Vladimir the Great, for example.)
I only wish I had found the activity book sooner because they memorized the periodic table of the elements in cycle 3 and look what that book included:
Both of these books will come in handy in our homeschool this year, but whether you homeschool or not, your kids and your family will benefit from having these in your home library.
Why?
Because in the Indescribable series of books, faith and science stop fighting. Giglio does a wonderful job of weaving truth from God’s world and scientific facts together, encouraging kids (and adults) to be filled with wonder at the wisdom and power of God. They are engaging, colorful, and fun. Kids love them.
In the Atlas, not only is the culture and history of the countries highlighted, any ties to God’s words are pointed out as well. Giglio includes thought-provoking questions for kids to consider. For instance, on the page about Egypt, he reminds readers that when Christ was a baby, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt and writes, “They probably felt unsettled and lonely at times – because moving to a new place can be tough! How can you help new kids in your neighborhood and school feel welcome? What can you do to share the love of Christ with them?”
Indescribable Atlas Adventures would be a great way to teach geography in your homeschool this year. It could also be a tool for your family to pray for the people of the world by praying around the world.
If the state of the activity book tells you anything, we can’t recommend these resources highly enough!
For more Indescribable resources, read my review of the devotion books for kids!