A TASTE OF PARADISE ON BRIGHT MONDAY

Happy Bright Week! Christ is Risen! 

On the heels of Pascha (for all my Orthodox readers), and Easter for those of you who celebrated earlier in the West, I hope you're enjoying after-Pascha-treats from your basket. We certainly are! Especially my yummy Russian Pascha cheese, which kind of tastes like paradise. 

But that's not the taste I'm here to tell you about today...

I have a soon-to-be-released children's book to share with you:  A Taste of Paradise, Stories of Saints and Animals. 

This delightful picture book is by Katherine Bolger Hyde, illustrated by Anastasiya Sokolova. It's exquisite, and I love it! And I think your kids will too. 

It seems safe to say that most children love animals and animal stories, and this book is a wonderful way to introduce them to some extraordinary saint stories...

Long ago in Paradise animals and men walked side by side.  When we return to Paradise, the wolf will lie down with the lamb, and a little child shall lead them.  In the time in between, many holy men and women have befriended even the fiercest beasts through the power of God's love.  Come and meet a few of these saints and their animal friends in this beautifully illustrated collection of inspiring stories!

Starting with Modestos, the patron saint of animals, we are introduced to saints from around the world (St. Herman of Alaska, Elijah the Prophet and the ravens, St. Kieran of Ireland and a wild boar, and St. Melangell of Wales and her rabbits, to name a few). 

Anastasiya Sokolova's luminous illustrations will draw you into each of Katherine Bolger Hyde's beautifully descriptive accounts of the saints and animals - perfect for children ages 4-8!

Be on the lookout! This book can be ordered soon from Ancient Faith Publishing.

The Broken Wheel: A Graphic Novel for a November Saint

Ancient Faith Publishing as just released Gabriel Wilson's latest graphic novel, THE BROKEN WHEEL, the Triumph of St. Katherine. 

Gabriel has done an excellent job of adapting the story of the Great and Holy Martyr Katherine (305-313) into a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel for ages 10 and up.  

What a role model we find in this saint, especially for girls! This young heroine loves learning.  A governor's daughter, she is intelligent, brave, and beautiful, but also very confident.  She tells her parents that she will enter into marriage only with someone who has surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty, and wisdom.   

With the help of her secretly Christian mother, an elder monk, and a miraculous dream, Katherine does find this Bridegroom, as she ultimately chooses a Prince (of Peace) and puts her trust and hope in Him.

Later, Katherine's city is visited by the emperor Maximian. He comes to Alexandria for a pagan festival and Katherine is horrified that Christians are being burned alive and sacrificed because of their refusal to deny Christ.  She is compelled to speak with the emperor and tell him about the True God, asking him to stop the human sacrifices.

Katherine is cast into the dungeon and is visited by St. Michael the Archangel. After the emperor sends 50 of his most renowned philosophers to debate Katherine, they not only believe in Christ, but bravely face death for their belief. 

Now comes the part of the story that really sounds like it was made for a graphic novel: The Wheel. Katherine, our brave heroine, will not deny Christ and voluntarily walks up to her declared method of cruel torture.  Suddenly, St. Michael appears and blows the dreaded wheel to smithereens! 

Witnessing Katherine's bravery and faith, Maximian's wife also comes to believe, along with the emperor's military commander and 200 soldiers, who are beheaded.

And that's not all...though St. Katherine herself is ultimately is beheaded, angels miraculously transport her body to Mt. Sinai, where it was discovered years later.  To this day, her relics are still on Mt. Sinai, at St. Katherine's Monastery. 

At the end of the book is a historical note, along with several icons and the Troparion and Kontakion to St. Katherine.

From Ancient Faith Publishing:

Young Katherine, born into noble wealth with an insatiable hunger for knowledge, surpasses even her tutors when it comes to learning. But her learning counts for nothing when she meets the only man worthy of her - her heavenly Bridegroom. Trading worldly knowledge for eternal wisdom, Katherine challenges even the emperor himself - and he prepares a cruel invention to break her. Meet this great bride of Christ in the second graphic novel in the Among the Saints series - written to inspire both children and adults.

About the Author: Gabriel Wilson lives near his childhood home in rural Indiana with his wife Emily and their three daughters. Their home is over 100 years old - a true fixer-upper - and the subject of many of his woodworking projects. In his free time, he pursues carpentry and music and enjoys making homemade tacos with his wife and sketching with his daughters. Graphic novels are his favorite form of artwork, and aside from his comics based on the lives of saints, he has other secular novels in the works. His first graphic novel was The Cross and the Stag. (read my review, here)

Blessed first day of Advent (if you're an Orthodox Christian). St. Katherine/Catherine is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on November 24 or 25, depending on the tradition. The Broken Wheel is a nice sized soft cover book, 7 x 10 inches, with 104 pages. It would make a wonderful gift for any Katherine/Catherine in your life.

Make Room on Your Shelf for This Graphic Novel!

Today I'd like to introduce you to an inspiring new graphic novel for kids - The Cross and the Stag; the Incredible Adventures of Saint Eustathius, by Gabriel Wilson. 

It is Ancient Faith Publishing's inaugural book into the graphic novel format, the first in their new "Among the Saints" series written to inspire both children and adults.

I am so excited about this book! Gabriel Wilson's illustrations are striking, and graphic novels are a great way to introduce kids to stories of the saints!

For those unfamiliar with graphic novels, they are like comics, but the format is longer and the self-contained story has a definite beginning, middle, and end. 

Wondering if graphic novels are a good fit for your child?  Click on the link to explore this article from scholastic: A Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens.

Now, on to The Cross and the Stag...

This is one incredible adventure story, about a very godly man and his brave family.  Not all saint stories would work well as graphic novels, but this one was practically begging to for it! (As are many others - I can't wait to see what more will come from Ancient Faith Publishing). 

In art school, author/artist Gabriel Wilson became very interested in graphic design, animation, and comics and was inspired to switch out super heroes for saints in his comic-format stories! Drama, action, love, adventure, death, and hope - they are all in this heroic tale.

Book description from AFP:
He lost his wealth. 
He lost his family. 
He lost his station. 
He endured it all, to gain everything. 
Roman Commander Placidas was a man of great power and influence. He and his family wanted for little, yet he knew there had to be more to life. Once baptized into the Christian faith as Eustathius, he faced trials beyond anything he had ever experienced on the battlefield. His faith was challenged, but that same faith gained him eternal life. Meet this great man in Ancient Faith Publishing's first graphic novel.

• Age Range: 7 years and up 
• Author/Illustrator: Gabriel Wilson 
• Format: Paperback 
• Dimensions: 7 x 10 inches 
• Page Length: 56 pages 
• Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing

Listen to Bobby Maddex interview the author here, on Ancient Faith's podcast Ex Libris.  And then order this book, available here.

Now, THIS Is What I Call A Princess Book!

Brand new from Potamitis Publishing...
Your daughter needs this book, and so do you!  It is sure to become a family treasure.

Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis' gorgeous jewel-tone illustrations accompany the fascinating stories of twelve brave, royal women saints in My Holy Queens and Princesses.

This lavishly illustrated, large format hardcover book by Dionysios and Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis is 100+ pages and includes audio CD. 

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
- It's about queen and princess saints.

- The illustrations are beautiful (did I mention that already?)  

- The introduction pages for each woman saint look like illuminated manuscripts.

- The stories are thoughtfully told and presented within a historical context.

- Boys will like this book too - there are lots of kings and princes in the stories!

- Each story concludes with a short summary of the saint's life and her feastday date.

-The audio CD included with the book is an added bonus.

*There are twelve saints stories in all - including some of our personal family favorites: Alexandra (Queen who followed the God of George), Esther (Old Testament Queen of Persia), Olga (Queen of the North and Grandmother of Prince Vladimir), and Ludmila (The Queen of the Czechs and Grandmother of King Wenceslas).

Potamitis Publishing is a family publishing ministry that is known for producing dogmatically correct, beautiful, and intriguing books for Orthodox children. As of October 2018, they have published more than 160 books in English, as well as in Greek, Romanian, Russian, and fourteen other languages.

Psst...Pascha Giveaways

Giveaway #1 - A Child's Guide to Confession.  This wonderful book (companion to A Child's Guide to the Divine Liturgy) is a great little volume to tuck inside a child's Easter basket! Perfect size for young hands, with lovely and colorful illustrations.

From Ancient Faith Publishing: 

This 100-page, easy-to-use aid will help a child understand and prepare for confession. Designed for both younger and older children, this book assists the child with brief, inspirational thoughts followed by prayers and an age-appropriate self-examination based on 1 Corinthians 13 (the "love chapter").  Available from AFP, here. 
Leave a comment (by 4/23/19) at the end of my post telling me you'd like a chance to win this book - be sure to leave your email so I can contact you!

Giveaway #2 - Spyridon's Shoes by Christine Rogers. Your kids (especially boys!) are in for a treat with this chapter book.  Spyridon's Shoes is a fun read, and Christine Rogers has done an amazing job in introducing young readers to the special-ness of having a relationship with the saints gone on before.

From Ancient Faith Publishing:
Young Spyros spends his days fishing, octopus hunting, and dreaming of attending school like his best friend, Niko. When he encounters an elderly man on the beach after an accident, his whole life begins to shift and change. But who is this mysterious, saintly man, and why is his friendship so important? Take a short trip back in time to the Greek island of Corfu and discover the real reason for the mystery surrounding Spyridon's shoes.  Available from AFP, here.
Leave a comment (by 4/23/19) at the end of my post telling me you'd like a chance to win this book - be sure to leave your email so I can contact you!

Before seeing "The Durrells in Corfu" series on PBS, I had never heard of the Greek Island on which St. Spyridon lived. Both the television series and Gerald Durrell's entertaining account of life on Corfu, My Family and Other Animals, mention a comedic, rather than mystical, encounter with St. Spryridon's relics. I highly recommend the book (which by the way, is child friendly, whereas the TV series is not) as a read aloud to kids who love animals and nature. (Not part of my giveaway.)

The youngest of the family’s four children, Gerald, whose love of animals drove him to become a famous zoologist, wrote in his 1956 book how the family stayed for five years in this Mediterranean paradise until the onset of World War II. ‘Living in Corfu,’ he concluded of the hilarious adventures he recounted, ‘was rather like living in one of the more flamboyant and slapstick comic operas.’ [source]

Giveaway #3 - The Resurrection of Christ, translated by Fr. John Hogg from the Russian, by Elena Trostnikova with colorful iconographic illustrations by Olga Podivilova.  

Fr. John has recently started a publishing company, Exaltation Press, so that he can begin publishing good quality Orthodox books in English that he's translating from other languages as he works with Orthodox publishers from other countries.

This is the Paschal book from the series “Scriptures and Feasts for Children” (books are all pictured at the top of this post). This book goes through the events of Holy Week — the Entrance into Jerusalem, the Mystical Supper, the betrayal, crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ.  Each scriptural evenT is explained in a clear and simple way that is suitable for the very youngest children.

The illustrations are gorgeous!  Look at the end covers...

At the end of the book is a glossary and "How to Tell Children about the Resurrection" section that goes into a more detailed explanation of the events for parents.  (One thing to note is that since the books are translated from Russian, some of the traditions mentioned in celebrating Pascha - "kulich", cheese Pascha, and pussywillows (for Palm Sunday) - may or may not be unfamiliar to readers from Antiochian or Greek Orthodox traditions.)

Fr. John has done a series of three books, "Scripture and Feasts for Children". All these beautiful books are available from Exaltation Press, here.
Leave a comment (by 4/23/19) at the end of my post telling me you'd like a chance to win this book - be sure to leave your email so I can contact you!

PASCHA 2019 GIVEAWAY RULES:
1 - Leave a comment telling me which book (or books) you'd like a chance to win for your children (or grandchildren, godchildren, nieces, or nephews!) 
2 - There will be three winners, with one book per winner.
3 - Be sure to include your email so I can get in touch with you.  If you are uncomfortable leaving it in the comment section, just send an email to me:wendyb1963@sbcglobal.net.
4 - You must leave a comment by midnight on Tuesday April 23, 2019.  Closed for comments after that time.

An Orthodox Boardbook: "Goodnight, Jesus"

I am so delighted that Ancient Faith Publishing has put out an Orthodox board book for toddlers!! Goodnight Jesus, written by Angela Isaacs, with illustrations by Nicholas Malara, is about as sweet and simple as a bedtime story can get...

The sturdy format makes this bedtime board book a huggable companion for little ones who are just beginning to eagerly bestow goodnight kisses not only upon Mommy, Daddy, their siblings and a picture of grandma, but also upon icons of Christ and the Saints.

A kiss for Jesus, Savior and Lord, 

 A kiss for Mary, His mother, 

 A kiss for Andrew, the first He called, 

 A kiss for Peter, his brother...

Angela Isaac's gentle rhyming text, and iconographer Nicholas Malara's colorful illustrations pair together perfectly as they beautifully communicate the tender innocence of goodnight kisses given to those we love.

Goodnight Jesus is a sweet treasure.  I predict my 17-month-old grandson and his preschool-aged big brother will ask to have this bedtime story read to them over and over again!  (It's not too early to think about Christmas, is it?  I know I'll be giving this book to lots of special little somebodies in December!)

Two Picture Books for the Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today I'm reposting my two favorite books for this Irish Saint from the 4th Century...

You can read my post about this fun alphabet book, S is for Shamrock, here.

I also highly recommend a more serious book, The Life of Saint Patrick: Enlightener of the Irish. (My past post reviewing this lovely book can be found here.)

Not to worry if you don't have it!  Kids will enjoy listening to the book, read by Chrissi Hart on her podcast "Under the Grapevine",  here.  

A Little Book Stack for Lent and Holy Week

Whether you're about to start Lent as an Eastern Orthodox Christian (we start Lent and celebrate Easter - Pascha - according to the Julian Calendar), or are anticipating Holy Week as a Western Catholic or Protestant Christian (according to the Gregorian calendar), I think you're going to like what I've got in my little book stack today!

1. Lent! Wonderful Lent! a picture book by Debra Sancer (ages 4-10)
2. Queen Abigail the Wise, a chapter story by Grace Brooks (ages 8-12)
3. The Mystery of Art, a meditative book by Jonathan Jackson (teens and up)
4. The Life of Christ in Icons, a Bible story board book by Marina Paliaki (preschool)


BOOK #1

Lent! Wonderful Lent! is like a mini Lenten catechism for kids.  The author, Debra Sancer (a good friend who used to go to our Parish!), starts the book with a beautiful explanation of repentance, and then highlights each Sunday of Lent, starting with Forgiveness Vespers. 

Sweetly illustrated by Amy Stokes, this book can be approached in whatever way best suits your family.  With younger children, you might read from it on Saturdays or Sundays as Lent progresses, in preparation of the services.  Older kids might like it read aloud in one sitting as an introduction (or review) of what each Sunday of Lent will focus on.

Debra also devotes a couple of pages as an explanation as to why we sing an Akathist Hymn to the Virgin Mary in prayer services during Lent.

BOOK #2

I was sooo excited when Queen Abigail the Wise arrived in the mail a few months ago!  For two reasons: reason #1 - because the author, Grace Brooks, a dear friend of mine who was in our Parish and sang in choir with me for many years; and reason #2 - because it's a chapter book about young Orthodox girls - and we need good books for the 8-12 age group!

In a moment you'll see why I was saving my review for Lent... 

Grace has written a fun book.  Her engaging story involves a ten-year-old girl named Abigail who faces ten-year-old challenges.

Our young heroine is grappling with things like how to pay attention in church, how to understand her faith, and how to interact in a loving way with her family and her friends.  Abigail wants to do the right thing, but faces constant distractions!  She wants to do something important, but is challenged with insecurities. She likes being a leader, but is struggling with jealousy.

Abigail is sure if could just have an icon of her patron saint, maybe she could learn to be more like her.  When her priest encourages her to first try to help people in their parish, she elicits the help of some of the other girls in her church (even though she doesn't know all of them very well), and they form the "Every Tuesday Girls Club".

You'll be swept right along with happens after that.  The story begins at the start of Lent (with a fly, and the Sunday of Orthodoxy.  Yes, you read that correctly!), and it ends with Pascha.

As you can see, the girls in my parish are devouring this book! One told me, "It was AMAZING." Another, in true "Abigail style" said she started reading it, lost it, found it, started it again, and lost it again (but really likes it so far). 

Queen Abigail the Wise would be the perfect companion for your daughter during her own Lenten journey - or as a Pascha gift!  You can find "Queen Abigail the Wise" on Facebook or her own website, here.

BOOK #3

If you have a young adult in your life who happens to be an artist, drama student, or musician, The Mystery of Art by Jonathan Jackson would make a wonderful Lenten read (or Pascha gift) for them.  I've given this book to both my adult sons.

[In case you don't know Jonathan Jackson, he began his career in Hollywood over twenty years ago on the soap opera General Hospital.  He has also performed in many feature films, including The Deep End of the Ocean, Tuck Everlasting, and Insomnia, and is currently one of the stars of the ABC primetime drama, Nashville, a show centered on the inner workings of the Nashville music scene. Along with acting, Jonathan is also the lead singer of the band Enation and the author of Book of Solace and Madness, which was published in 2012. Jonathan is an Orthodox Christian and resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Elisa, and their three children.]

In The Mystery of Art, Jonathan describes the relationship between his personal theology and his work.  He explores the profound implications of human creativity in the image of God, along with the process of becoming an artist (of any sort) dedicated to practicing his or her art from the context of a deep relationship with God.


BOOK #4

This beautiful book is exactly what it says "The Life of Christ in Icons".  It's one of a series of three from Athos Children's Books by Marina Paliaki.  (The other two in the series are The Birth of Christ and The Mother of God.) 

I was excited to find this gem for my little grandsons at All Merciful Saviour Monastery during my recent trip to Seattle. This board book is a perfect size for preschoolers - roughly 8 1/2" by 7 1/2 " - so that the icon details show up nicely.

And its sturdy pages makes it a perfect companion in church for little hands during Lent and Holy Week.  There are questions throughout, that make the book very interactive for home or church. (Any of the three books in the series would also make perfect gifts for little ones' Pascha baskets!)

The gift of Lent is that it is a time of preparation - to draw closer to God and to acknowledge that He is the reason that we exist. We need to seize this opportunity with our children to grow spiritually, so that it doesn't become just a "what-food-are-you-giving-up-for-Lent?" experience.

I hope you liked my little Lenten stack o'books!  Go here for my other Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha posts...as you prepare your hearts during this holy season.

Click here

Celebrating St. Lucy, a Young Woman of Faith!

To be a woman of faith, even when you're just beginning to think of becoming a woman someday, means to reflect the light of Christ so brightly, that people see past your clothes and your friends and your plans. People see not just who you are right now, but who you were meant to be.  It means to grab Jesus so tightly, it's hard for even you to tell where his work stops and yours begins.
-Calee M. Lee, author of Women of Faith

With St. Lucia Day coming up on December 13, I wanted to tell you about a beautiful new picture book that celebrates not only St. Lucia, but twelve other brave women saints as well!

The book is Women of Faith, written by Calee M. Lee and illustrated by Lisa Graves. Each of the saints is featured with her own story, a short prayer and a luminous watercolor portrait.

Calee's sweet introduction at the front of the book about her "friends" from both Orthodox and Catholic traditions is heartwarming. She gives a beautiful explanation about why we call them saints, and she writes directly to her young readers who will want to hear these stories over and over again...

I would like to introduce you to some friends of mine.  As girls, I'm sure they were funny and brave, just like you.  The loved flowers and their families and the chance to play with friends.  As they grew, they learned to be brave and kind and love everyone around them.  From this, we can know them hundreds and hundreds of years after they died

I'm enthralled with the exciting stories and their pairing with Lisa Graves' gorgeous medieval-style paintings.  The book's large 8 and 1/2-by 11-inch format showcases the illustrations perfectly.  

Young girls will be drawn to the portraits of these early Christian women saints and martyrs from around the world (prettier inside and out than any Disney Princesses!), who lived and died so courageously.

Included are St. Genevieve of Paris, St. Brigid of Ireland, St. Hermione, and St. Barbara, to name a few.

Now I'll leave you with a prayer for St. Lucia'a Day:

O Saint Lucy, your faith in God was a light in the world.  Give me that same light in my soul so that I may avoid evil, be brave in performing good works and hate nothing more than the blindness and darkness of evil and sin. Pray to God for me that my eyes will see clearly and that I will use them for God's glory.

St. Nicholas Day is Almost Here! Are You Ready? (He's Coming to a Home, Church, Town Near You on December 6th!)

Our family and parish has always loved celebrating St. Nicholas Day, and today I'd like to tell you about a website that I know you'll find invaluable for your own family's celebration of this special saint and his day.

Why St. Nicholas vs. Santa; and why Dec. 6th vs 25th?

Was St. Nicholas a real person?

Why secret gift giving?

You can find answers to the above questions and more here, on this incredible website, devoted to families and all things St. Nicholas on the St. Nicholas Center website.

When you visit stnicholascenter.org and you'll also find:

crafts
recipes

online books & stories

celebrating at home
st. nicholas and our american christmas customs
around-the-world celebrations

How about an 8 year old's perspective? I hope you take time to listen to this fun interview, "The Real St. Nick", about the difference between St. Nicholas and Santa - from the perspective of an 8 year old boy: http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/closetohome/the_real_st_nick

And don't miss this beautiful picture book, "Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins" by Jim Forest. This beautifully told story of St. Nicholas and the dowry gold, seamlessly includes historical background and Jesus' teachings. Illustrated by Vladislov Andrejev, with rich, full-color iconographic art - available here.

You can also read my past posts from my Advent and Christmas Resource Page: 

• "A Timeline for St. Nicholas" here
• JRR Tolkien's "Letters from Fr. Chistmas" here.