First books for young thinkers

Hello! This is my first participation with Baby Creysi, which has me very excited. I’m Susy, and I want to talk to you about the first books for young thinkers this time. They’re specifically books for kids.

Big Ideas for Little Philosophers (Grandes ideas para pequeños filósofos)

To motivate kids to build the habit of reading, Penguin Random House launched the collection: Great Ideas for Little Philosophers under Serres, and it is aimed at all those first readers: kids between 4 and 7 years old.

Titles that make up the collection First books for young thinkers:

1. Equality with Simone De Beauvoir
2. Imagination with René Descartes
3. Happiness with Aristotle
4. Truth with Socrates

All written by Duane Armitage and Maureen McQuerry and illustrated by Robin Rosenthal.

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Let’s get into the matter…

I will tell you about two of these incredible first books for young thinkers: Equality with Simone De Beauvoir and Imagination with René Descartes, which have beautiful illustrations on each page, making the books visually attractive not only for kids but also for grown-ups.

An entry that invites you to read

Both books for kids open with the following text, “A philosopher is a person who loves wisdom. Wisdom means knowing things that help you live better and be happy”. It also explains, in an easy way, what philosophy is for.

Both books contain powerful definitions that explain the very essence of Philosophy in a timely, creative and fun way: We can all live better and be happy.

The little ones in the house will like this collection, but they will also learn without realizing it.

You could read: Six books for new dads

Equality with Simone de Beauvoir

It invites boys and girls to do the same activities, regardless of whether they are stereotypes that society assigns to men or women, such as playing soccer or cooking (of course with the advice of an adult), playing with the same toys; it does not matter if they are dolls or cars, be aware that they are just toys and are to have fun and enjoy a pleasant moment with your friends.

It’s okay to cry!

It reminds them that it is okay to cry when a situation makes them sad and that they have the right to show their emotions regardless of their gender. Equality with Simone De Beauvoir motivates them to be kind to everyone, but more to those who are rejected, those who have no friends, and those who are different from them.

Respect…

It is a book that makes clear to the kids the importance of respecting ourselves and respecting others; and that accepting people as they are, being kind, empathetic, and supportive will help them have more opportunities to create a happy and equal world.

Imagination with René Descartes

It inspires little ones to understand their environment through imagination, invites them to imagine what they could see in the jungle or at the bottom of the ocean, and add on their street, at school, at grandparents’ house, etc.

As adults, we can stimulate the imagination of our kids with exercises or simple questions to make them think as Descartes said,

“I think. Therefore, I am”

René Descartes, a French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist, is considered modern philosophy’s father.

For example, out of the blue, ask your child:

• Can you imagine a parrot outside its habitat?
• How would you draw your hero?
• How would you describe yourself in a starry sky?

This book invites you to understand that we all imagine in very different ways, making us unique.

Don’t worry if you don’t know Simone de Beauvoir or René Descartes; at the end of each book, you are introduced to these peculiar characters who made history and left an important message for those great little thinkers who dared to be different and defend their ideals.

I hope that my literary recommendations will please you and your kids and, above all, that they will be helpful to you on a day-to-day basis.

Translated by: Ligia Mabel Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version: Here