Two Young Kings For Your Christmas Reading

A King of Kings and a King of Bohemia... I have two Christmas picture books that I'm recommending in today's post: The Christ Child by Maud and Miska Petersham, and Good King Wenceslas by Pauline Baynes. As I mentioned in my last "Prague Blog", both books have ties to my recent trip there.
 

THE CHRIST CHILD (ages 6 and up)
I found a used library copy of this book (published in 1931) by Maud and Miska Petersham at Shakespeare & Sons in Mala Strana, the "Little Quarter" in Prague.  (Whenever I come across an affordable old book by this incredible husband-wife writing and illustrating team, I buy it!)

The Petershams were truly pioneers in the world of children's picture books from the 1920-50's.  Maud was born in New York, and her husband Miska was a Hungarian immigrant. Their quaint and stylistic approach to story telling and illustrating is a unique blend of their backgrounds.

This book brings to life in vibrant color and small "chapters" the story of the birth and childhood of Christ from the text of the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

(Other books by the Petershams in my collection include The Circus Baby, Nursery Friends from France, Tales Told from Holland, and The Rooster Crows.  Many of the Petershams picture books can be found online, but it's a lot more fun perusing used bookstores, don't you think?)

GOOD KING WENCESLAS (ages 6 and up)
Pauline Baynes (well-known for her illustrations of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia) does not mince words in this re-telling of the exciting story of the young Bohemian Prince, Wenceslas - patron saint of Prague and the Czech Republic.

There are many legends surrounding this good saint, and his tragic death is recorded in history.  As with many saints' stories, Wenceslas faced his martyrdom bravely, and Baynes' hopeful re-telling (published in 1987) is book-ended with the words of the well loved Christmas carol about this good and brave King.

The other hero/saint in this Bohemian story is Wenceslas' grandmother, Ludmilla.  She brought him up in the Christian faith.

During our tour of Prague Castle, my mother and I were privileged to see both the Wenceslas Chapel (which contain his relics) in St. Vitus Cathedral, and St. Ludmilla's tomb in St. George's Basilica.

St. Wenceslas' relics are in the Wenceslas Chapel in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle.

Stained glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral by Mucha depicting (in the center) a young Wenceslas at his Grandmother Ludmilla's knee.

St. Ludmilla's tomb is located in a chapel in St. George's Basilica, Prague Castle.

A painting in St. George's Basilica near the tomb of Ludmilla, showing Wenceslas being taught by his Grandmother to care for the poor.

Just outside the walls of Prague Castle, I took a quick photo of my mom next to the statue of Wenceslas.

It had rained all day, so on our walk back to our apartment, we stopped at a little cafe for some hot tea. It was the perfect end to our wonderful time at Prague Castle!

Second Day of Christmas...the Feast of Stephen

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
    Two Turtle Doves...

JOSEPH DEVENNEY/GETTY IMAGES

This is an amazing pop-up book by Robert Sabuda

The feastday of Saint Stephen - the first Christian martyr - is commemorated on December 27 in the Eastern Orthodox Church.  (His day is celebrated on December 26 in the West.)  You might enjoy the books below from my past posts and Good King Wenceslas and Stephen's Feast:

click here for my post about Good King Wenceslas

click here for post about "Stephen's Feast"

and this book by Pauline Baynes

A Good King and the Feast of St. Stephen

One of the statues we came across of Wenceslas
 in Prague, Czech Republic.

John M. Neale, an Anglican priest, wrote the words to "Good King Wenceslas" in 1853 to inspire children to be generous on St. Stephen's Day (today - Dec. 27). The lyrics of the song are based on events that occurred in the tenth century... about a kind-hearted king and his page who set out to help a poor man on a cold winter's night and how they experienced a miracle along the way. (If the incident is merely legend, the hero most certainly is not.)

Wenceslas was born into a royal family in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic.  My husband and I just had the pleasure of taking a trip to the city of Prague to see our son, who is on a student exchange program there.  We saw statues and tributes to Wenceslas all over the city.

Wenceslas was raised by his grandmother to be a devout Christian.  Since his father was killed in battle when Wenceslas was only thirteen years old, he became Prince of Bohemia just five years later, at the young age of 18.  He ruled the land fairly, as he sought to spread Christianity throughout Bohemia and give aid to those in need.  

In 935 he was killed by his brother in a political coup. As a result of his pious life and untimely death, Wenceslas is venerated by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as a martyr and a saint. (The Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously conferred the title of King to Wenceslas.)

At the suggestion of one of my readers, I'd like to add a third picture book about  Good King Wenceslas to the two I posted about last year.  This particular book has wonderful pictures by Tim Ladwig that help introduce the story and illustrate the text of the song.  There is also a historical note at the back of the book.

To read my previous about this Good King, GO HERE.

Happy Feast of St. Stephen!

Saint Stephen is commemorated on December 26 in the West and on December 27 in the East.  At the bottom of this post, I have linked two excellent books that we read to our children about King Wenceslas, who himself died a martyr's death and became a saint...

Good King Wenceslas looked out

on the feast of Stephen,

when the snow lay round about,

deep and crisp and even.

Brightly shown the moon that night,

though the frost was cruel,

when a poor man came in sight,

gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me.

If thou know'st it, telling:

yonder peasant, who is he?

Where and what his dwelling?"

"Sire, he lives a good league hence,

underneath the mountain,

right against the forest fence

by Saint Agnes fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine.

Bring me pine logs hither.

Thou and I will see him dine

when we bear them thither."

Page and monarch, forth they went,

forth they went together

through the rude wind's wild lament

and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now,

and the wind blows stronger.

Fails my heart, I know not how.

I can go no longer."

"Mark my footsteps my good page,

tread thou in them boldly:

Thou shalt find the winter's rage

freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's step he trod,

where the snow lay dented.

Heat was in the very sod

which the Saint had printed.

Therefore, Christian men, be sure,

wealth or rank possessing,

ye who now will bless the poor

shall yourselves find blessing!

STEPHEN'S FEAST by Jean Richardson, illustrations by Alice Englander

"The carol about "Good King Wenceslas'' is expanded into a sentimental story in which a rather thoughtless young page is taken along to see how the less fortunate live; the bounty he and his king take to the humble cottage is shared in a sumptuous feast after the king himself builds up the fire. The telling is adequate if prosaic; it does serve to explicate John Mason Neale's verse, which younger children may find obscure. Englander's attractive illustrations set the story appropriately in medieval Eastern Europe; the page (also named Stephen--it's his birthday as well as the saint's day) looks like an appealing blond member of a modern third grade, while the grandly clothed king is thoughtful and suitably benign. Not essential, but enjoyable." (ages 4-8) -- quote from Kirkus Associates.

GOOD KING WENCESLAS  by Pauline Baynes

Pauline Baynes' (Chronicles of Narnia) beautiful Byzantine-influenced illustrations accompany her exciting telling of the story behind the carol of  King Wenceslas.  (Ages 8 and up)  Her historical note at the end of the book says:  "Wenceslas probably lived between AD 907-929, and began ruling Bohemia about AD 925.  He founded many churches, but his attempt to convert all his subjects to Christianity was not popular.  The precise date of this assassination is not certain, but it was probably September or December AD 929.  He was later canonised, and became a patron saint of Bohemia.