Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage
Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage by Carey Wallace and illustrated by Nick Thornburrow is a unique saint book that brings to life many Catholic saints that young readers will be familiar with, as well as others that will be introduced to them for the first time, through dramatized yet realistic retellings of their life stories.
Proceeding chronologically from Polycarp to Mother Teresa, each saint’s humanity and faith become tangible in a very real way in the space of just a few pages. Coupled with the dramatic and mythological illustrations of Thornburrow, this book is different from most every other book on the lives of saints. Boys and girls alike will find new heroes or a new understanding of favorite saints, as well as find themselves captivated by the beautiful illustrations.
While some parents may be uncomfortable with the honesty that Wallace treats the hardships the saints have endured, from early Christians’ martyrdom to the plague, I found it to be refreshing and a great conversation starter with my children on the trials and tribulations of the Christian life, especially those prior to modern times.
This is an excellent book to breathe life into the saints for children so they are able to vividly imagine the heroic faith of those good Catholics whom the Church has canonized.
