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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Children's Corner: Holy Crocodile: Stories of Saints and the Animals Who Helped Them

Greetings to my loyal readers and hopefully some new readers! When I first started this blog, I wondered how much of a success it would be. I didn't know if people would even care what I had to say or if I would have enough books to carry this on long term. Thanks to both generous publishers for the works to read and all my faithful readers, I have officially made it to my 100th post (not necessarily my 100th review).

Holy Crocodile: Stories of Saints and the Animals Who Helped Them is written and illustrated by Caroline Cory. Ms. Cory draws on traditions from the Catholic, Orthodox, and Coptic Churches. I love this aspect of the book because it gives your kids exposure to saints they might never hear of any place else. For example, the cover and inspiration for the book's name relates to a tale of St. Pachome. We are also introduced to the stories of some lions with St. Prisca and St. Cuthbert and his sea otters to name a few.

Of all the religious children's books I have reviewed, this is by far the most visually appealing. The colors are bold and vibrant and really come alive on the page. In fact, I would go so far as to say that even if the stories within were awful, I would buy this book for the illustrations alone. Fortunately, that is not the case, as the stories within the book are just as wonderful as the artwork. I particularly enjoy the story of St. Gerasimos and the lion he saved. The lion went on to become a member of the same monastery as St. Gerasimos.

I really loved this book and have been reading it to my newborn son, who also happens to have an affinity for lions. It's never too early to teach our children about the saints and their faith, and this book does just that. I know it will be a favorite bedtime read for years to come, and I can't wait until he can focus his little eyes on the pictures better. Pick up this 5 star book for you and your kids!

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