Best children biology books according to redditors

There's these books my kids adore them. I'll admit they're for kids a bit younger but it's a goo starting point to start understanding biology if he has no knowledge of it at all.

There's also the BBC series walking with:

There's walking with prehistoric beasts, walking with dinosaurs, walking with cavemen and so on, it's a really really good series about evolution and something a 10 yr old and their parents could enjoy so you guys could watch them together.

Protection as she grows up.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)

by Dan Barker

In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."

"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."

Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.

And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3

Here Comes Science CD + DVD

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.

Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution

Also:

Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams

Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams

God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams

"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris

"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni

"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski

See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.

Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn

"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.

Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.

Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

A child's first book of evolution.

15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families

Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only

Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!

Depending on the age of the kid, these could be some good ones:

What Do You Believe?

See Inside World Religions

The Belief Book and others in that series

What is God? (this one does presuppose some kind of a higher power, but compares its depiction across many religions and suggests that god is in us/everywhere around us/basically the concept of good)

I Wonder (not specifically about religion, but more about the idea that science can answer some questions but not yet all - some things are a mystery that we can only wonder about)

Also definitely recommend including some books on the scientific version of the creation story (i.e. the big bang, evolution, etc) so kids have that perspective to draw on as well. Again depending on the age, some good ones are:

Older Than the Stars

Big Bang: The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular

One Day a Dot: The Story of You, The Universe, and Everything

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story

Grandmother Fish

Sapiens: Our Human Evolution

Hope some of those are helpful! :)

I have

The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology https://www.amazon.com/dp/1593272022/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LF8IBbBB36AGE

And

The Manga Guide to Biochemistry https://www.amazon.com/dp/1593272766/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RG8IBbHC98RQV

It's sort of like a Dummies book that walks you through some of the concepts.

Our Family Tree by Lisa Westberg Peters is supposed to be great and just perfect for his age. http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720

Check here too for ideas: http://shop.skeptic.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SS&Category_Code=CB

Our family tree
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0152017720/ref=pd_aw_fbt__b_img_2?refRID=0F3M60WMEJYZAW0QFHA6#productDescription_secondary_view_pageState_1423367287694

I wonder
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1940051045/ref=pd_aw_sim_b_2?refRID=0F3M60WMEJYZAW0QFHA6

And older than the stars
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570917884/ref=pd_aw_sbs_b_3?refRID=1JSEC4DMC180KGGF2SSM

Are all books geared towards science and skeptisisim and all books I'm considering buying at some point.

Why read a textbook when this exists?

Our library has a copy of this: www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My situation is very different, DH and I are both out. I do however worry a lot about Utah culture influencing my kids and my kids wanting to please beloved TBM grandma. One thing I do is read them children's books about different beliefs/science. Here are a few I ordered recently. My heart goes out to you. Keep doing your thing, being a loving father and talking to them openly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1940051045/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152017720/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756672287/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (for older kids)

It's not all bad.

Also, 3 from 72? Bound to be a few nutters. One does wonder if they are actively seeking out "evolutionist" material.

EDIT: Had some time to A. Wake up, and B. Get my shit organized.

So my first recommendation is to read these 3 books.

http://www.amazon.com/Relax-Its-Just-God-Religious/dp/1941932002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452781395&sr=8-1&keywords=relax+it%27s+just+god

http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=41mSJWJjhCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=136KZ8YRX0P0CY93EJGA

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Reality-Dawkins-Richard-Hardcover/dp/B011SKFWNK/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452781427&sr=1-2

These are all geared more towards the parents, but it sounds like that will be just as beneficial to you. I've worried about the same exact stuff you're worried about ever since my wife told me she was pregnant. These books have been a fantastic resource. The first 2 help you prepare for the inevitable questions (which it sounds like you're already getting) children ask in regards to our origins. There's nothing I can say here that will really improve upon what's contained in these books, so my #1 suggestion is to just pick them up and read them. "Relax, It's Just God" Is a quick read, so I'd probably start there.

I'll just say, for anyone that hasn't read them, or doesn't intend to, the most important thing I took from these books is this:

Please don't shield your children from religion. It's played an incredibly important role in the founding of civilization, and it continues to be a dominant force in society (particularly if you're in the US). By shielding your children from all things religion, they will have no defense against it when they are inevitably confronted with it. To a child, the easy answers and flimsy logic of religious dogma can seem persuasive. By refusing to talk about it, or not engaging them honestly in discussions about it, you're essentially sending them out into the world unarmed.

Now, once you've sort of amassed this collection of tips and strategies for talking about it with them, you need to build an understanding of the concepts that ACTUALLY govern our world. There's a lot of great resources out there nowadays that introduce complex things in a very approachable way. If your children are on the younger side, I'd recommend these books:

http://www.amazon.com/I-Wonder-Annaka-Harris/dp/1940051045/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51Xa9vh-4mL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=13A7B660SHNYNWGNRS9J

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=12ZKCH4ZP41R11J3AQC3

http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NTGW8B5FNWYGW2MDDGP

I buy these 3 for every single one of our friends that has a child (provided I'm cognizant of their beliefs, wouldn't want to step on any toes)

I think one of the things religion has going for itself, that science and reason kind of lag behind in, is instilling a sense of wonder in people. It's easy for adults to marvel at things like quasars, black holes, the process of DNA replication, etc., etc., but it's a bit harder to instill that sense of wonder in kids without getting into some really dry science. That's why religion (in my opinion) is still so successful, it offers easy answers to really difficult questions, and doesn't really require you to think too hard on it. "I'm scared of dying" is easily answered by "Well don't worry, God loves you and will bring you to heaven with him."

There's also some great videos on youtube I'd recommend (though they vary a bit in regards to age appropriateness):

https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly (evolution)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPAJr1ysd5yGIyiSFuh0mIL (Astronomy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X56fBK1JlY&list=PLsmqeqKj7M-rZe1C9PUon8V-VQ1tZj5NF (evolution)


Kids, even very young kids, are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Knowledge of the way the world actually works is the best insulator against religious dogma, so give them as much as they can handle. When that kid at school tells them God created everything, instill values in your child that will lead them to ask "why" instead of just accepting that at face value. And if your child comes home and says, "Jimmy said god created the world" you can respond with, "Well yes, that's what Christianity says, do you know what Islam says? Hinduism? What about the Greek Myths, those are pretty cool huh? Most civilizations have a story about how everything got started, but none of them really agree with one another, and we've never been able to prove it. Scientifically we have a pretty good idea, but there's a few things we don't know yet, and that's perfectly fine. It's ok to say 'I don't know' when it comes to big complicated stuff like this. Let's see if we can't find out more! (insert books/videos/research here)"

My son is barely a month old, so I'm a ways off from a lot of these conversations, but I'm doing my best to prepare myself. I hope to teach him how to tell whether a source is reliable or not, how to be skeptical (particularly of those in power) and how to think critically, and not stop digging just because the answer he arrives at makes him feel better. Luckily, there's a plethora of information out there nowadays from secular sources that is geared towards people like you and me and our non-religious offspring.


EDIT: The other book I will recommend that's not a parenting book and isn't geared towards kids is "Your inner fish". There is a series of youtube videos based of the book if you prefer that. Basically, it makes evolution really cool, and in a way that (in my opinion) you can tell your children about easily. Things like why our skin is the way it is, why we look the way we do, etc. All stuff kids will probably ask.

Dawkins - Greatest Show on Earth

Zimmer - At the Water's Edge

Stein - The Evolution Book

The last one is actually a high school level book, but it helped me a lot when I first ditched Christianity.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am still looking at a couple of them, but one of the suggested books was this: http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323734717&sr=1-1 which judging by the reviews is exactly what I was looking for!

Nice detective work. All that obession only to find that I'm interested in scary stories.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936114682/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uDcbAbG6Z21QW

Edit: since we're sharing subreddits, thought you may be interested in r/tumblr

This actually is a thing.

I saw a ton of these books in a bookstore a few years ago.

Here's another

Some ones I can think of offhand plus a few lists:

Me & Dog

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/41547.Atheism_and_Religious_Disbelief_in_Children_s_Fiction

http://www.csicop.org/si/show/skeptical_books_for_children_and_young_adults

http://www.atheistrepublic.com/blog/karenloethen/books-your-skeptical-children

There Are Not Monsters Under Your Bed: A Storybook for Skeptical Thinkers

Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong

It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me

Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids

I'm An Atheist And That's Ok

Older than The Stars

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story

Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos

Richard Dawkins’ The Magic of Reality

The Golden Rule

The Belief Book

http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/parents/?p=384

God Is Redundant

This one mostly; [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152017720](Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story)

Well since people like that one...

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=61Bb8PVIFPL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR152%2C160_&refRID=08Y59RTTFGASNDNE79R4

"Our Family Tree"

We are also reading this one to the kiddo. It is entirely about evolution.

Ditto! I was threatened with having my books taken away if I kept talking about dinosaurs and evolution. I got an Eyewitness: Evolution when I was about 10.
A simple statement, yet it made me shut up for the next 20 years.

I've got a t shirt that I love that my classmate gave me for my birthday. It's a solid black shirt with a grey silloutte of a micropipettor on it (I think it's a p200). No words, no colors. It's just a very simple design and shape that every molecular biologist would instantly recognize. I can't seem to find an image of the shirt online, but I can ask where my friend got me the shirt. I'll also take a selfie with it later when I get home tonight if you want to see the design.

Another friend of mine also gifted me a book that I keep on my lab bench library, mostly for whimsical fun rather than actually being a resource of info. It might mean a lot to your sister to actually give this thing a read through before giving it to her.

https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Molecular-Biology/dp/1593272022

There are also other, more serious books that would make a nice gift. My boss has an older well worn copy of On the Origin of the Species (Darwin's landmark work) that she treasures. The Selfish Gene and The Double Helix are also decent choices for instantly recognizable titles in biology, but they are a bit more uhhh controversial...Jim Watson was/is kind of a dick, especially to how he disparages Rosalind Franklin, and Dawkins (mostly in his talks, and less so in his writing) tends to adopt a rather combative anti-intellectual/atheist stance that some people may not agree with.

Also, take a look here at a previous thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/biology/comments/5fy3b3/could_use_some_christmas_gift_suggestions_for/

Molly Bang is a children's book author illustrator who has some really excellent science books that would be good for fifth grade.

My Light explains how all our electricity comes from the Sun.

Living Sunlight shows how the energy for all terrestrial life comes from the Sun through photosynthesis. It boggles my mind that this isn't used more widely, because it's easily one of the best books on the subject for this age group.

Ocean Sunlight explains how phytoplankton feed the seas and supply the world with oxygen.

Common Ground Simply illustrates the tragedy of the commons.

Nobody Particular is a short graphic novel about Texan shrimper and environmental activist Dianne Wilson.

Chattanooga Sludge is another non-fiction about John Todd who used fish, plants, and algae, and snails to clean a river choked with toxic waste.

Lastly, Picture This is a denser book (but still readable by some fifth graders) about composing pictures to evoke moods and relationships.

>Your Honor, /u/yellowsubmarie is a woman of many interest, one of her favorite meal is the consumption of Karma in high doses.

This is SPARTA!!!!... I mean Reddit, and we all aim to do one thing here, stuff our mouths so full of that sweet sticky karma. That does not establish motive.

>When she is not pigging herself in Karma that could have fed the needy she likes to bathes in the glorious light of the front page.

Last I checked your honor, Reddit is not a welfare state. This is not some distopia in which we upvote every post we see. There is a reason for these imaginary internet points, they remind the lower castes who is in charge around here. Secondly, The front page is the end goal of every post (ideally). It is the affirmation that our internet peers (13 year old boys acting hard core through the computer) accept and cherish our work. When you can't find love in life, where do you go? /r/single. When you had a bad day and no friends IRL, where do you go? /r/funny. When you feel you aren't pretty enough for that guy in real life that you pine for, where do you go for empty affirmations and sexual harassment? /r/pics. Your honor, Reddit is proof that someone lacks friends and therefore striving for the front page can not be seen as a crime at risk of being forced to indite every user.

>5.38 times more link karma than comment karma. Statistics that would make our audience shiver... This person likes getting attention and takes it on the good People of Reddit; diverting us from our lives so we can admire her.

I would like to quote the judgement (part of) from case 14KCC-4-2296gg.

>Each one here will strive for reputation as they please, Harlots they are only by a notable intent.

This is a judgement setting free to roam the defenceless people of reddit, /u/zirconiferous who as of this post has over 30,000 link karma and -2 comment karma. The math is impossible to show what correlation factor this is, but it equates to over 9000!, or approximately the absolute value of 15000. 5.38% is not even 0.1% of that factor. If that doesn't show intent, and in the eyes of the "law" it did not, then this is a shoddy attempt to soil the name of a innocent woman.

>Hence proving the point. /u/yellowsubmarie doesn't know jack about genetics and is spreading misconceptions about italians being the opposite of irish, confusing the masses.

Nothing was proven other than anyone can make a reddit profile and post opinions in comment threads. Thankfully, I too can navigate the dark muddy waters of comments to find my own, more reliable experts in forensic psychology to determine intent. /u/suicideselfie clearly states below that the argument is too literal, even for KC and that both "expert" witness' are actually, trolls.

>Oddly enough, a majority of the time people use the word "opposite" it is in the sense of an analogy or metaphor. Speaking in a strictly literal sense "hot" is not the opposite of "cold", merely a relative measure of more or less kinetic energy. In philosophy this is known as "the unity of opposites". Essentially our brains are preconfigured to think in terms of directional or spatial metaphors.Tldr There's no opposite of a gene... But most of things we regularly think of as having opposites don't have them either.

That's right, the other counselor is feeding the trolls. He is sitting down, on a bench, in a park, throwing bread crumbs to hungry the trolls. Now Reddit does not have many rules, but posted on the door of each sub, it clearly states, no outside food or drink, no shirt no shoes no service (except /r/gonewild) and DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.

DoYouRememberMe?!.OFC

>Your Honor, isn't this symptomatic of a person seeking attention?

This is a logical post by someone who has not posted a picture of her and her sister recently. The most recent one was 3 months prior, if we use reposing rules as a guide, because no actual rules exist, she was 6 times above the acceptable time frame.


>Redditors.Losing.Their.Minds_becoz.of.her.RIP.PROPER_NTSC_TRUCODEC.R5.mkv

>What did /r/pics do to get that? Did they ask for it? No.

But we must ask ourselves, what did /r/pics ask for, and they asked for pics. Their motto is pics or GTFO. and thats exactly what my client did, she provided pics which is never a crime in /r/pics. blaming her for the ensuing troll feeding frenzy beacuse she was the inital target, is like blaming Arch Duke Ferdinand for the Great War or as some may call it WW1 or The War Where America Saves the World^part1. But I digress, The damage caused is not due to my client, but due to the evil that festers in the hearts of trolls.

>As for the latest charge NoPleaseIamNotYourSisterStopFollowingMe.Pls

>The accused is getting out of control, trying to take innocent people in her wake as she spirals down the drain

Innocent people suggests multiple, the prosecution is clearly trying to upgrade the charges with no actual evidence to do so. As for the claim that

>No ground as ever been provided as to prove the other woman is her sibling.

Let me provide what the American justice would call reasonable doubt.

Sworn testimony of /u/Hayasaka-chan

>My best friends just had their second son but you wouldn't know they were brothers. My friends are both natural blondes with blue eyes...same with their eldest boy. The little guy came out with a thick head full of brown hair and dark eyes!

Sworn Testimony of /u/greycatjack

>My husband has olive skin and black hair, I'm pale everything, and we got two kids with the same facial features but one colored like me, one colored like my husband. People sometimes miss the fact that their faces are pretty much the same because their coloring throws them off.

So, Your honor, It is the opposing council that does not understand genetics. The key term in this case would be Recessive Genes. Your honor, it is very apparent that my client is not guilty of all charges and that the opposing attorney needs to read Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas available on Amazon

Is this it?

https://www.amazon.com/Things-ocean-that-can-kill/dp/1690027584/ref=sr_1_2?crid=LOAJE1B7ZH4U&keywords=things+in+the+ocean+that+can+kill+you&qid=1570592260&sprefix=Things+in+the+%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-2

Check this book out: The manga guide to molecular biology

Shirley from 23andMe: 23andMe is the only service authorized to provide certain carrier status and genetic health risk information directly to consumers. This information can be extremely valuable to individuals, including for individuals that may not meet clinical guidelines for testing. (See more about this in Shirley’s response to Question from u/Yamster80). That said, it is important to note that the test is not intended to diagnose any disease or to be used to make medical decisions. Customers are encouraged to talk with their healthcare provider about their results to determine appropriate next steps to be taken in a clinical setting.

We provide links to genetic counseling resources but do not provide any counseling services ourselves. We recognize that individuals may learn something unexpected or upsetting through their genetics and we make many efforts to communicate these possibilities to our customers so that they can make informed decisions about the services, features, reports, and information they would like to receive or participate in. For example, before someone opts into seeing close relatives in our DNA Relatives feature, we caution that it may reveal unexpected family relationships. Another example is that we ask customers specifically to choose whether they would like to receive certain genetic health risk reports about serious health conditions that may be upsetting to learn about.

23andMe is committed to making our genetic reports user-friendly and understandable. In fact, our FDA-authorized health reports meet specific criteria for user comprehension of key concepts relevant to those reports, demonstrated through studies representative of the general population. We provide different layers of information to help make it more digestible, and for certain health reports we also provide detailed FAQs that are tailored to a person's results. And our Customer Care team works closely with our scientific and medical teams to respond to customer inquiries.

Beyond our services and features, 23andMe has always felt that educating our consumers and the public is important for preparing society as a whole for a future where genetic information impacts everyday life. We continue to demonstrate this in a number of ways, including support for educators and academic programs, events and exhibits both local and across the country, online courses and videos, and even children's books!

Here is one I found, though I haven't read it myself. Based on one of those Amazon reviews it may not go into as much detail about evolution itself as you might like, but perhaps it'll do as a good overview.

Your daughter may still be a bit young for Neil Degrasse Tyson's Cosmos, but you should check out the second episode anyway. There may be portions there you could pick out to show her.

I had a nearly identical experience when my son was in preschool. I blogged about it if you want to check it out. http://adamjnicolai.com/mandatory-indoctrination/

But yeah, if this happened in a public school, I'd go on the fricking warpath. That teacher needs to be fired or at the least suspended. Not acceptable.

As far as recouping your son's rationality, just buy a good kid's evolution book. I thought Our Family Tree was good (http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413303317&sr=8-1&keywords=our+family+tree).

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story

Life on Earth by Steve Jenkins (looks like it's out of print so maybe find it at the library or used) and a new book for slightly older kids also illustrated by him: http://www.amazon.com/Billions-Years-Amazing-Changes-Evolution/dp/1590787234/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331860873&sr=1-1

Hmmm, a YEC, this may be more his speed.

my 2 year old daughter knows more about what evolution is than this jizz stain does

edit: this kids book is a great start

I got my eleven-year-old son this one. It's a bit disjointed in terms of instruction, but a very cool book nevertheless. It's not explicitly atheistic, though it does go so far as to touch upon creation myths and how evidence has shown them to be just that.

This also looks interesting.

edit: fixed link formatting.

My niece has this book, and I think it's a great way to introduce some evolutionary concepts young:

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Any of the following? Or do any of them have a similar look/style to what you remember? I immediately thought of DK, but the chronological order and prehistoric life thing makes me think it would have been more of a general biological life encyclopedia than one with an "animal" slant.

Wonders of Learning First Animal Encyclopedia (a bit late, 2009)

DK's Visual Encyclopedia of Animals (2001)

Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals (1999)

DK's Visual Encyclopedia of Animals (2005)

DK's Animal Encyclopedia (First Reference Series) (2008)

DK's Animal Encyclopedia (2000)

EDIT: Here's what I mean about a general biological life encyclopedia:

DK Nature Encyclopedia (1998)

From Nothing Until Now is also really good.

I was looking for some neat books for our 2.5yo and stumbled on this one about vaccines. Some of the reviews are almost certainly Russian troll-farmers. It's not just twitter.

http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Life-We-Know-It/dp/0753462532

There is not much available in terms of atheistic picture books at all, and I can't think of anything for a 2-5 year old. I'd say some books on mythology (to get them started recognizing it), or astronomy, or dinosaurs, whatever's well reviewed in those areas, could be appropriate. Once you're into the 6 to 8 yo range, there are a few more picture books:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578840163/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Solstice-Ellen-Jackson/dp/0761302972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323733377&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Stones-Bones-Char-Matejovsky/dp/1598150049/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323733624&sr=1-1

http://www.prometheusbooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=96&zenid=s4591gebo9q6ardl0ur6a57992

Also

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-How-Living-Things-Came/dp/1554534305/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323264555&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323264575&sr=1-2

My imgur link is something you may find in a middle school biology book!

I understand your blunder in not realizing that, and it is my fault for not considering the possibility that you may not have finished middle school education, so here's a link to the book!

I hope that helps. 🙂