Saints and Their Stories
This beautifully illustrated book introduces 18 saints. The first 17 entries tell the life stories of people such as Saint John the Baptist, Saint Francis, and Saint Bernadette. The last entry features the Archangel Gabriel. It comments on angels, covers his role as a messenger from God, and tells of a Sardinian legend in which Gabriel plays a role. Although saints may interest children from many religious backgrounds, the fact that the writer’s point of view expresses the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church may limit the book’s usefulness in other religious settings. Translated from the original Italian edition, the text is clearly written in relatively short sentences. Each saint’s story is told in a few pages and illustrated with several paintings. Formally composed and often brilliantly colored, the striking, naive illustrations will draw readers to these stories. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan