Click here for my Saint Lucia Day Remembrances post (we started having a St. Lucia Procession at our church when my daughter was only two and a half years old. Now she's a Mama who bakes Lusseketter and shares in the tradition with her own children!)
This might seem like an odd title for a November post, but here in sunny Southern California, we get some of our best beach days in the fall. Take for instance last week, when our temperatures hit the low 90's!
My daughter and granddaughters were visiting from Michigan to meet their new baby cousin, and we took full advantage of the hot day to go to the beach, equipped with sand toys, towels, and a little Golden Book about two siblings - Nancy and Timmy - who go with their parents to the beach: A Day at the Seashore.
Nancy and Timmy hop out of their beds one summer morning and help pack their swimsuits and lunch. And then it's off to the seashore! In a charming rhyme, this Little Golden Book from 1951 (then titled A Day at the Beach) describes what preschoolers will find there: "You can catch little crabs—if you're quick! You can draw great big pictures right on the beach with a piece of a shell or a stick."
If your child likes C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, he or she will enjoy Beyond the White Fence. It all starts with a grandmother's backyard and a girl named Katie...
Katie discovers that the valley behind her grandmother's garden is more mysterious than it seems. After tumbling into tenth-century England and encountering Saint Edith of Wilton along with her wild animal menagerie, she is helped home, wondering whether her adventure was truly real.
But after Katie, her cousins, and a neighborhood friend are drawn back in time once again, she realizes her grandmother's garden gate is a portal into faraway worlds, where patron saints are real people making real-life decisions.
Join Katie and her cousins as they mingle with Rachel and Jacob, meet Saint Mary Magdalene up close, trek across the sand with the matriarchs Naomi and Ruth, and have a nail biting adventure with the heroic Saint Katherine of Alexandria. In seeing the richness of the family of God, they glimpse how very much they are a part of it all.
Author Edith M. Humphrey, a grandmother herself (of twenty!) does a great job of storytelling in this new chapter book for 9 -13 year olds (and precocious 8 year olds) from Ancient Faith Publishing. A former teacher and lecturer of theology (at Pittsburg Theological Seminary), she does an excellent job of bringing Orthodox theological truths and historic saints' stories alive for kids - with excitement, humor, and even some movie references - in a non-preachy or didactic way. She tackles the topics of marriage and sexuality with the same amount of matter-of-factness as sibling rivalry.
Written in five parts, the last one makes for an especially suspenseful ending - Humphrey's handling of the bravery and martyrdom of Saint Katherine is wonderfully told. The reader will feel Katie's dread in anticipation of her patron saint's death, but it is reckoned with the power and glory of God in His Saints. It brought me to tears.
Beyond the White Fence is available now from Ancient Faith Publishing.
My granddaughters are the cutest.
My husband recently found a long lost box high up on a shelf in our garage. It was full of some of our kids' favorite childhood picture books! I separated them out according to each (now adult) child so they can pass them along to their own kiddos.
Today I'd like to highlight a story about two sisters, Snow White and Rose Red, heroines of one of Grimm's fairytales. I remember it being a favorite of my childhood fairytales. Growing up, we had a recorded version with a follow-along Little Golden book.
There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two rose-trees, and one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red...
This beautiful version, Snow & Rose written and illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin, was gifted to me by my daughter! It's a nice chapter book version for kids 8-12, with beautiful illustrations throughout.
From Publisher's Weekly:
Sisters Snow and Rose once lived a charmed life in a grand house with a beautiful garden. After their father disappears into the woods, the girls and their mother are forced to move into a small cottage in the same forest. There, they befriend a boy named Ivo, discover a mysterious library filled not with books but objects, are tricked by a strange little man, and bond with a protective bear.Unfolding over episodic chapters that build to a well-deserved happy ending, this moody fairy tale emphasizes family, friendship, and the powerful bond of sisterhood. Martin’s characterization of the two contrary sisters is especially moving: Rose is the type of person who “holds on to a thing she loved as tightly as she could,” while Snow wants “to see or hear or taste something she loved over and over again, to remind herself that it was real.”
The sisters’ contradictions make their relationship all the stronger, and Martin’s prim full-color paintings and spot illustrations tenderly highlight key characters and moments. Ages 8–12.
Incidentally, when Maria was born, I gifted her with one of Emily Winfield Martin's picture books, The Wonderful Things You Will Be.
Oh, how I miss our little Snow (Lexi) and Rose (Maria)! Such devoted sisters.
Blessed Feast of the Annunciation! Today, I'd like to highlight Love at Lent, a new offering from Ancient Faith Publishing. Orthodox Lent and Pascha are a bit late on the calendar this year, and so am I in getting this post out, but nonetheless, here you go...
Michelle Bonanno Triant, along with illustrator Maria Constantinescu, has curated a sweet boxed set of 50 Lenten activity cards for the whole family that will encourage forgiveness, gratitude, generosity, prayer, and love.
These daily tasks and prayer cards will get your family involved in the Spirit and work of Lent. You can choose one each day of Great Lent and Holy Week to discover a new simple task to complete. The cards can also be utilized in other settings, such as Sunday school, church ministry groups, and homeschool cooperatives.
I just LOVE Maria Constantinescu's illustrations on the front of each card. So bright and perfect for spring!
I think parents will appreciate that the tasks on the back of the cards are simple and straightforward, and not overwhelming at all. They don't even need to be done in a specific order (although there are a few that go especially with Holy Week and Pascha.) Along with the activities, all the cards include "Tips" and "Bonus Fun".
Here are a few examples of specific tasks:
Read a Bible Story
Say "I Love You" in Another Language
Give Away a Toy
Take a Family Walk
Dance
Decorate a Pascha Card
GIVEAWAY: I know this fun pack of sturdy activity cards will be anticipated by kids and used year after year! I'd love to send it to someone.
Be the first parent, grandparent, godparent, or Sunday school teacher to leave a comment and the pack is yours. Then send me an email {wendyb[spam]1963@sbclgobal.net} with your mailing address.
*Of course anyone is welcome to leave a random comment and not enter in the giveaway, but please specify that. Giveaway is only open to my readers with children in their lives that could benefit. Not to be re-sold under any circumstance! The cards are available here from Ancient Faith Publishing.
Troparion
 |
| "St. Bride", John Duncan 1913 |
and flew on the wings of your longing for God.
When you arrived in the eternal City and appeared before your Divine Spouse wearing the crown of virginity,
You kept your promise to remember those who have recourse to you.
You shower grace upon the world, and multiply miracles.
Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.
The well-known founder and abbess of the Monastery of Kildare has been revered and loved throughout Europe for almost fifteen hundred years. While she was still a young woman, her unbounded compassion for the poor, the sick and the suffering grew to such proportions as to shelter all of Ireland. St. Brigid’s tonsure at the hands of St. Mael of Ardagh inaugurated the beginning of women’s coenobitic monasticism in Ireland. St. Brigid soon expanded it by founding many other convents throughout Ireland. The gifts of the Holy Spirit shine brightly upon all through her—both men and beasts—to this day. After receiving Holy Communion at Kildare from St. Ninnidh of Inismacsaint she gave her soul into the hands of her Lord in 523. [Source: http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/irishorthodoxchurch.aspx#brigid]Around this time of year (and especially this year), we all could use a warm, cuddly hug. With Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day approaching, I thought I'd share a heartwarming book with you that features a hedgehog (hey, it's pretty close to a groundhog!)
"Why will no one hug me?" Hedgehog sniffed.
"You're just a little bit tricky to hug," replied Owl, "with all your prickly prickles. But don't worry, there's someone for everyone."
The Hug, written by Eoin McLaughlin, and illustrated by Polly Dunbar, is a unique format picture book that flips over, providing two narratives - and two characters - to love.
Book description: Both a hedgehog and a tortoise are feeling sad and looking for a hug. They ask all the animals they come across, but for some reason, no one will hug them. Until a wise owl explains: Hedgehog is too spiky; Tortoise is too bony. And that's when they find each other!
What your child will like about this book: The story read from the front cover to the middle is Hedgehog's story; you turn the book upside down and read from back to middle for Tortoise's story. Both creatures have the same problem: no one wants to hug them and everyone has an excuse. Both their stories collide - with a big hug - in the middle of the book. These two just had to wait until they found their match.
One more from this writer/illustrator duo: While We Can't Hug, a new picture book for kids in response to social distancing. Hedgehog and Tortoise find other things friends can do besides hugging - they can wave at each other, write letters, make funny faces, and sing songs...all in a show of their friendship.
I don't know about you, but I'm doing all I can for local businesses. Yesterday I visited a new independently-owned little bookstore in quaint Old Town Tustin, here in Orange County, CA. It's the Arvida Book Co.
Children love fairytales, which, much like stories of the saints, have a lot to teach us. When I was a little girl, Thumbelina was one of my favorite fairytales. We had the Little Golden Book version, with illustrations by the Swedish artist, Gustaf Tenggren.
 |
| source |
I first came across Saint Ia's story in a lovely new book, Seven Holy Women, just put out by Ancient Faith Publishing. This not-to-be-missed collaborative book was Melinda Johnson's brain child. I could hardly wait to gift Seven Holy Women to several close friends, my daughter, and our new daughters-in-law for Christmas.
The lives of the saints are important for us to read, especially now during our Covid-enforced isolation - many of the saints certainly lived in isolation. We can definitely learn from their example of time spent with God.
The science and news of Covid has become for many a distraction during the boredom that can come from isolation. We want connection with life outside our small space. We want answers. So we turn to the news/internet, and as we are inundated with daily (even hourly) updates, science and politics become THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. Suddenly everyone has an opinion to share on their facebook and instagram feeds because we also want people to pay attention TO US. And the more urgent, the more of a possibility that we'll get people to pay attention to us, but unfortunately away from THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. We all need to try our best to use this extra time found in isolation for meditative and fervent prayer and inspiration from our Saints. The last thing we need is more distraction from this.
Some in the world may tell us our saints' stories aren't important, that only truly historically accurate and scientifically explainable stories are to be taken seriously. For more thoughts on this, please refer to Orthodoxartsjournal.corg for excellent articles, especially several from Nicholas Kotar regarding the truth of the Lives of the Saints, here.
Nicholas Kotar says: Seen from the prism of today's mundane reality, which has been rendered practically black and white by the precision of the scientific method, these events [he is referring to a historical mythical event he previously recounted] are simply impossible. But every wise man from time immemorial has warned about judging the past through the lens of the present. Who's to say dragons didn't threaten the monks of the Egyptian desert...that's a question one would be foolish to try to answer until one has tried to understand what these dragons really are, and not in the sense of trying to find a specimen to dissect.
The poet, then, instead of assessing the truthfulness of a certain aspect of a Life or of the Life itself, has a much more important calling - as an apologist of the mythical and improbable in the lives in general.
Back to today's picture book...
As mentioned at the top of my post, Melinda Johnson is also the author of this new little board book, Saint Ia Rides a Leaf. I think it will help parents to know a few details of the life of St. Ia before reading the picture book to their children.
Saint Ia was an Irish virgin-martyr saint born around 480. She was baptized into the Christian faith around the tender age of thirteen and wanted to go to Cornwall with missionaries Sts. Fingar and Piala to help teach the Gospel of Christ.
However, when she arrived at the shore the morning of their planned trip, the ship had already set sail (they probably thought the undertaking too dangerous for her and left early). Distraught, Ia prayed to God for help. And He brought it - in the form of a miraculous leaf.
The leaf grew when St. Ia's staff touched it, and she stepped in and was transported across the Irish Sea to England. This is where the simply-told picture book story ends in its telling.
Saint Ia ultimately ended up landing in St. Ives in Cornwall. She actively evangelized across the countryside. There was a chapel erected by her in Troon, fourteen miles inland to the east. You can read about it here, on historicengland.org. Ia was eventually martyred under the persecutions of the wicked Breton Prince Tewdwr in the middle of the sixth century.
Author Melinda Johnson is an excellent story-teller, and you will love her fun, energetic portrayal of sweet Ia. Young children will enjoy Kristina Tartara's cute, colorful illustrations as well as Ia's three companions - a fish, a crab and a sea bird.
Did Ia really sail to England on a leaf? She certainly did get there, as history shows. As much as we can learn from a fairytale Thumbelina, we can learn much more from a historical young girl named Ia who loved God with all her heart. Saint Ia, pray for us!
Saint Ia Rides a Leaf is available here, from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. It can also be found from the Ancient Faith Publishing Store, along with Melinda Johnson's other books Letters to St. Lydia, and the Sam and Saucer chapter books.
Go here, to Raisingorthodoxchristians.com, for some fun activities as well as a cute coloring page to go with this book!
If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. The will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
-Isaiah 4:21-31
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I offer two beautiful books written by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon:
The People Could Fly.
William Kilpatrick (from Books That Build Character) writes, "Myths and folktales reflect man's attempt to understand both his greatness and his ability to inflict and to endure suffering". The 24 folktales in this book were mostly shaped by the "given" of slavery in America and are offered in a wide range of imaginative telling...the title story is a hauntingly beautiful tale of slaves on a plantation who recall the ancient African incantations that allow them to fly. There are also riddle stories and the comic tales of Brer Rabbit - which represent the slaves' need to find ways to maintain dignity while evading their masters' cruelty.
Many Thousand Gone.
From Publisher's Weekly: "The inspired pairing of this Newbery winner and these two-time Caldecott recipients has yielded a heartfelt and ultimately heartening chronicle of African Americans from the earliest days of slavery to the 1865 ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery in this country. Made up of succinct yet compelling profiles of celebrated and lesser-known individuals, Hamilton's narrative deftly peels back time's layers and lends an unusual immediacy to this critical chapter in American history."
The stories are heroic and the illustrations are beautiful. Many Thousand Gone is a must-read in helping our children understand the horrors and honor the bravery shown by so many during the time of slavery in our country. It traces the history of slavery in America in the voices and stories of those who lived it.
Both good reads for this day, as we remember a courageous man who wanted to change the world through his life example of non-violence, belief in equality for all, and civil rights activism.
You may also be interested in my past post about Ruby Bridges, here.
There may not have been twelve drummers drum-ing, but there was definitely rejoicing in heaven and on earth as God incarnate became manifest to the world: in the East, "Theophany" - the appearance/manifestation of God Triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit at Christ's baptism - is celebrated and remembered on January 6, across the Orthodox World. (In the West, this January feast is referred to as "Epiphany", the appearance of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.)
Thus ends the festive Nativity season. And thus, I must now un-decorate my house of all things Christmas and get back to blogging.
