The 10 Best Atlases For Kids
Editor's Notes
February 15, 2021:
A few things were important to use when choosing our recommendations. They should contain useful information, ideally recently updated; they should be engaging; and they should cover a wide range of topics, so whether a child wants to learn about places, history, or animals there is a book here for them.
With the focus of including recently updated or written books, we removed the old National Geographic Atlas and replaced it with the 4th edition of the National Geographic Kids Beginner's World Atlas, which was updated in 2019 and is their newest version. We also removed the 2014 Lonely Planet edition and replaced it with the 2020 Lonely Planet Kids Amazing World Atlas. At this time, we also chose to eliminate the City Atlas and replace it with the Merriam-Webster's Student Atlas, which contains a significantly broader range of information. It is also has a bit more of a serious, textbook-like feel than many of our other recommendations that is perfect for mature kids, and we felt that style was lacking in our previous selections.
We tried to find more modern replacements for the Space Atlas and My Pop-Up World Atlas, which were written in 2014 and 2012, respectively, but at this time there are no better options that either cover the same topics, or have the same kind of engaging format.
March 08, 2019:
Despite the Barefoot Books World Atlas' charming illustrations and focus on different cultures across the globe, we decided to remove it due to a high number of reported factual errors. Added When on Earth? because it not only explains interesting historical events (such as the Arab Spring and how agriculture began), but it also presents an excellent opportunity for parent-child bonding, as many adults are sure to learn something from it as well. The 50 States nabbed the top spot thanks to its abundance of clearly-conveyed information and compelling visuals. You'll also find the Atlas of Animal Adventures and the Space Atlas for the critter and astronomy lovers in your life, as well as a pop-up selection (My Pop-Up World Atlas) that's great for tots who are just beginning to read and need a bit of extra stimulus.