Saint Francis Sings to Brother Sun: A Celebration of His Kinship with Nature
Grade 3 Up–The book opens with an authors note giving background about Saint Franciss poem The Canticle of Brother Sun, followed by a summary of the mans life. This six-page section seems to be aimed more at adults than children. The rest of the book consists of brief vignettes from the saints life, accompanied by an illustration. The author has used medieval biographies as sources and retold the stories in accessible language for modern readers. Verses from the poem introduce each section and the entire poem is reproduced at the end of the book. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s Saint Francis of Assisi (Hyperion, 2005), illustrated by Dennis Nolan, is a straightforward picture-book biography and Richard Egielskis Saint Francis and the Wolf (HarperCollins, 2005). focuses on one episode from the mans life. Pandell concentrates more on Franciss spiritual nature–how he would preach to birds or talk to a cicada or a hare; how he would praise the wind, water, fire, and earth. The book is beautifully designed. Unifying elements appear throughout, such as a repeated pattern of colored tiles, the verses of The Canticle reproduced in gold superimposed on a medieval-style shield background, and Le Tords gold-embellished, primitive-style paintings. This title would not be the best choice to introduce young children to the life of Saint Francis, but for those who have some knowledge of him, its is a lovely testament to his spirit.–Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christophers School, Richmond, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.