A good book for children

As you likely know, on Saturday of next week, March 17, Holy Mother Church will observe the memorial of Saint Patrick.

As I made my way to back to Springfield from Tucson through the airport in San Franciscan, I stopped at what I think is the best airport book store I've ever found.  In it, on a table of various Irish-themed books, I found one by favorite children's author, Tomie dePaola: Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland.

When I saw it, I decided to pick one up for my nephew.  It is a typical work by dePaola and contains a couple of stories from Saint Patrick's life about which I was unaware.  Now I wish I'd picked up another copy for myself; dePaola's books are great for reading to grade school students.  And older students, too, and even adults, especially The Clown of God.

Book reviews

Late last week I went to our local Christian book store to pick up a copy of the Ignatius Bible, second edition (the one that has headings throughout the text; these are very helpful when looking for certain passages).

I was hoping to pick up the smallest version to carry around but, as they were out of it (or they don't yet publish it; I can't quite tell), I picked up a regular-sized Bible with a hard cover with images of the four Evangelists and Christ on it.

I'm very pleased with it. The binding is good, the printing is good, the pages are good. I recommend it. But be sure to get the Second Catholic edition; I don't know why the First Edition doesn't have headings.

Browsing around in the store I found a little book by Tomie de Paola, Pascual and the Kitchen Angels. It is a delightful children's story about Saint Paschal Baylon (of whom I happen to have a relic).

I knew him to be very devoted to the Holy Eucharist and thus patron of Eucharistic Congresses, but I didn't know he was the patron saint of the kitchen.

With it's delightful and characteristic artwork, the easily flowing story and the life of a saint, this little book will be good for story time for children of all ages.

I first discovered de Paola's work in college when my professor for the class on the theology of death read de Paola's The Clown of God to us. I loved the story then, picked up a copy of it, and I read it my classes at the highschool and I've even based a Confirmation retreat around it. It goes over pretty well.