Children's Book Monday- and a Book Drawing!

(Would you like to own one of the children's books I've reviewed? All you have to do is leave a comment for me with your name (even if you aren't a blogger, just watch for the drawing so you can e-mail me with your address!) and I will have Eliana draw a winner on Sunday evening, the seventeenth.)


The Song of Francis and the Animals
by Pat Mora
Woodcuts by David Frampton








So calming, this story... the gentle cadence and lyrical prose bring such peace, and the woodcut illustrations, gorgeous yet simple, are a joy to behold.

This book is about St. Francis of Assisi, who "preached to people and dogs and flowers and fish and frogs". We follow his sandals, chicks and lambs parading behind him, as he saves a worm, tames a wolf, and even re-enacts the manger scene at Christmas time with his animal friends.

Interspersed throughout the story are Italian phrases, kindly translated for us at the beginning of the book... Cantiamo- Let us sing... Ti canto- I sing to you... il lupo- the wolf. And of course, there are animal sounds, which are our favorite; the falcon calls, Kek, kek, kek. Kek, kek, kek. The wolf growls, Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. (Followed by mimicking and giggles from your children.)

The poetic descriptions are delightful- As the sun set, Francis and the nightingale sang a duet in their brown robes. And the story, at it's end, invites you in it's simplicity to learn more about this saint, who devoted himself to a life of poverty in order that God may be glorified. Did you know that St. Francis was the first to create a Nativity scene, using live animals? His preaching to man, as well as beast, was regarding the duty of all creatures to praise God.

We so enjoyed getting to know St. Francis of Assisi through this story- and spent a good portion of the rest of our day learning more! I hope you do, too.

Happy reading!