Book Review: Introducing children to the family of the Church

 

I took the book into Playgroup to see what the three and four year olds thought about it. The children who picked it up tended to be the ones who like lots of stories anyway, but it did hold their attention. I used it for the group story on All Saints day, and what the children really liked were the pictures and the poems where the subject had the same name as themselves or someone that they knew. They were very interested in the picture of the Hawaiian mountains behind St Damien of Molokoi and the city streets and photos and drawings of immigrants behind Francis Xavier Cabrini.

 

 

Another strength of the book is the way that the text presents those who died heroic deaths. There is emphasis on the love and courage. For example, Fr Damien’s poem says:

 

He dressed the wounds of people

Whom others feared to touch;

Built schools and homes, and told them,

“Jesus loves you very much”.

 

The martyrdoms of Maximillian Kolbe and Miguel Pro are explained very gently without any gruesome details which might upset a sensitive younger child. The book would make a lovely Christening present and could be used as part of a bedtime routine, reading one or two of the poems before prayers with a little one.

 

 

Because the poems are designed for young children there is not a lot of information on each person. I would have found a short paragraph at the back with dates and details of each subject very useful; it would help make the book more appealing for a wider age range. By the time a child is approaching First Holy Communion more details, including the gruesome ones, become more appealing. More details would also enable the reader to understand quite how good the illustrations are. For example, Maximilian Kolbe is shown on a background of strands of barbed wire for the prison camp but also ripped up paper, printed very faintly to reflect his publishing apostolate. He is wearing his habit with his Auschwitz jacket over his shoulder showing his prisoner number, demonstrating that he was a saint before he was a martyr. When I investigated the lives of the more unfamiliar saints online I found many details that were reflected in the illustrations; for example, the tennis racket beside Chiara Badano’s bed, showing her love of sport; Miguel Pro’s portrait is based on a photograph taken at his execution.

 

I would happily recommend Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times for pre-school and Key Stage One children. Meghan Bausch has written a sweet and inspiring book which parents will find a great help in introducing their children to the family of the Church.