Brother Francis: Following in His Footsteps, He is Risen, and JoyToons (Herald Entertainment)

It's been a while since I've had a chance to review some DVDs from my favorite Catholic cartoon Brother Francis. When we last left Brother Francis, he was at eight episodes, but three more have been added since then. They are as follows: 9. Following in His Footsteps, 10. He is Risen, and 11. JoyToons (The Brother Francis Song Collection Volume 1). Allow me to tell you about them.

Most children know the right answers when called on in Religious Education, but few children turn those words into actions. With Volume 9 of Brother Francis, Following in His Footsteps, your children will learn what it really means to be followers/disciples of Jesus by turning their words into actions. The first example they are given is "The Parable of the Sheep and Goats." In this Scripture passage, we see Jesus talking to a flock of sheep and goats and separating them. The sheep receive the eternal reward, because they helped their fellow man who was hungry or thirsty. The goats receive eternal punishment, because they did not help their fellow man. This really is one of the most haunting passages in the Gospels, because I always question whether I am doing enough to help others. The other story talks about the man who built his house on the sand and the one who built his on the rock, and teaches your children about living with faith in God as opposed to living without him. If you build your house on the rock (faith in God), then you will be able to withstand any storm, but if you do not and opt for sand (faith in yourself or possessions), then with the slightest storm, you'll get overwhelmed. This was a great episode and a perfect follow-up to Born into the Kingdom.

He is Risen is clearly an Easter episode of Brother Francis. The video begins by talking about Jesus' Resurrection. This leads Brother Francis to give us a brief summary of Jesus' life. If your children are well-versed in the life of Jesus, this will be a repeat of knowledge they already know, but it can also be a good crash course for those who new to the faith or young children. Brother Francis covers Jesus' birth, ministry, teachings, healings, etc. This leads us to Palm Sunday and Brother Francis' lesson on Holy Week. Using the events that occurred during Jesus' final week on earth, Brother Francis relates to us how and why the Church celebrates Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. He talks specifically about the importance of Palms, washing of the feet, institution of the Eucharist, and the Stations of the Cross. The episode concludes with a catchy song also called, "He is Risen," like the title of the episode. This episode is great to watch during Lent and pairs perfectly with the Christmas episode titled O Holy Night. Highly recommended.

JoyToons is the most recent Brother Francis DVD and a strictly musical "episode." The DVD begins with Brother Francis singing "The Bread of Life," and leads into him talking about the importance of music, a quote from St. Augustine, and different reasons we sing. He also makes reference to how much music is in the Bible, including the Psalms; Paul singing in prison; and music in the book of Revelation. The rest of the episode is composed of a dozen songs, previously featured in the first nine episodes of the Brother Francis series. Before each song is a quote from a saint, like St. Josemaria Escriva or St. John Vianney, that relates to the song. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite Brother Francis DVD, and I feel it would have been better just to be a CD. What could have improved this episode is having the words of each song at the bottom of the screen so kids could see and hear the words at the same time to reinforce memory. The DVD does have some merit though, as it could be used for very young children to fill time and reinforce the faith without stories.

I am always pleased with the quality of the Brother Francis DVDs, and these three were no different. The message is consistently orthodox, and the level of understanding is simple but profound. However, I am now left wondering where the series will go from here. Will we get episodes on Advent and Lent? Will the rest of the Sacraments be covered in more detail? Or will they just devote time to the papacy or specific saints? Only time will tell, and I look forward to seeing what they have in store next. Be sure to check out their other products like coloring books that correspond with the DVDs; kid-friendly Holy Cards; and a matching game that your young kids will both enjoy and learn a lot from!

These DVDs were provided to me for free by Herald Entertainment in exchange for an honest review! If you found any of the reviews helpful, please click here, here, and/or here and hit Yes!

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Quatro Publishing Group)

Disney, Hans Christian Anderson, Andrew Lang, and the Brothers Grimm. No matter what your preference, fairy tales are an essential part of any childhood. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to find these tales compiled in a nice hardcover or hardcover series. Hesperus Press is slowly releasing all of Andrew Lang's fairy books. Race Point Publishing has done their part by publishing The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales.

The book is a gorgeous hardcover that spans over 700 pages. It comes with a ribbon marker and a slipcase and all for $30 (or less depending where you buy). There are 201 fairy tales (not 200 because "The Three Sluggards" and the "Twelve Idle Servants" were split into two tales), like Cinderella and Little Red-Cap, and 10 children's legends, which while having a religious theme are a bit strange. One legend for example is about a mother with twelve sons, who sleep for 300 years and become the twelve apostles. There are also tons of illustrations, both color and black and white. My biggest gripe with the color illustrations is that they aren't placed in the context of the story they coincide with. For example, a color illustration of Rapunzel is wedged between pages 98 and 99 when the actual story runs from pages 44 through 46. The pages are also very thin, as in you can see text from the other page through the pages. This is a bit of a nuisance when reading, and means the pages can rip easily, so you'll want to read this book to your children and not the other way around.

The content is five stars. It is complete (hard to find) and has a plethora of illustrations. It is also written in language that the modern ear won't scratch their head over, i.e., not King James.  Lastly, there is a nice introduction that your kids might not find interesting, but those older souls, like myself, might be interested in reading about the Brothers Grimm. The presentation, primarily page transparency and image placement, leave something to be desired and make this more of an adult book than a kid's book, which is a bit of a shame. Overall, I would give this book four stars, but still recommend you buy it!

This book was provided to me for free by Quatro Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Giver Quartet (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

The Giver is premiering this Friday August 15th. To the younger generation of moviegoers, those in their teens most likely, this is another blockbuster in the same vein as Hunger Games. It's got some big names like Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgård, Katie Holmes, and even Taylor Swift. To an older audience, those in their 20s to 30s, they know that this was actually a book released in 1993 by Lois Lowry. Some from this generation, like my wife, actually had this assigned as summer reading, which was pretty remarkable and groundbreaking for the time given the content of this book.

The Giver is a book that takes place in the future, a dystopian future. However, the book is initially painted in a utopian light that becomes more dystopic the more you read. The society has eliminated pain and other negative emotions from their society, called "Sameness." There is no privacy, and no one seems to really mind. There is one man, however, the Receiver of Memory who stores all past memores before the "Sameness."  The main character is a young boy named Jonas who has the same pale eyes as the current Receiver of Memories. Jonas has been chosen to be the new Receiver of Memories. By taking on this role, he experiences a lot of pain, but he also experiences genuine happy emotions for the first time as well. By receiving this influx of emotions, he learns one of the gruesome prices his community pays for peace. He also longs for a time and place different than his current one. I won't continue to give plot away, but just know that the end of the book leaves you at a sort of cliffhanger, wishing for more answers.

Books with unsatisfying endings always leave readers wanting closure. They also cause dedicated fans to write to authors and implore them to write more of the story. Some choose to, like L. Frank Baum who kept writing because children kept asking him to do so. Others choose not to, like J.K. Rowling. She is happy with how Harry Potter ended and has no plans to write more books in that world. It took seven years by Lowry wrote a somewhat sequel called "Gathering Blue." However, it didn't pick up where "The Giver" left off and introduced us to a new character named Kira. In 2004, Lowry released "Messenger"  which helped tie together "The Giver" and "Gathering Blue." "Son" was released in 2012 and also has strong connections to the first book.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did fans of this series a HUGE service by combing all the books in a beautifully bound hardcover omnibus. It's just under 800 pages long, has a ribbon place-marker, and is a super reasonable price. I also really appreciate the fact that even though they turned The Giver into a movie that at least with this omnibus didn't make a new cover with the main actors and actresses. So if you have seen the movie already or are going to see the movie, I definitely recommend taking some time to read the book. It will be a bit different than the movie but in a good way.

This book was provided to me for free by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for free in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Angel Food for Boys and Girls (Neumann Press)

Angel Food for Boys and Girls is a four-volume set of hardcover books that span over 100 pages each. The books were written by Fr. Gerald T. Brennan. "Fr. Brennan was a pastor in New York, beloved by the children in his parish, to whom he told delightful stories. At the urging of friends, he published many of his tales in numerous popular books" I was stunned to learn that he was from New York as the Angel Food for Boys and Girls is written in a folksy way with stories that sound like they came from a simple country parish priest. I guess I would compare it to if there was a priest on Andy Griffith. These stories are what I would classify as modern day parables for kids. However, since they were originally published in the 1950s, I'm not sure many people would still call them "modern." At the end of every volume is an "Index of Topics" that correspond to lessons found in the Baltimore Catechism.

The title of the first story in Volume One, entitled "The Devil at the Door" had me a little worried, but once I started reading it, I learned that it was about a child on Halloween. Fr. Brennan used the example of wearing masks on Halloween to demonstrate how we all wear masks every day. He went on to say that even though we can hide behind our masks to others, God always sees the real us. Another story I enjoyed was "A Box of Hail Marys." This story told about a woman who went to Heaven on Mary's birthday. She felt bad about not having a gift for her, but her gift "arrived before her." She had said three Hail Marys a day for her whole life, and that was her gift to the Virgin Mary - a box of Hail Marys.

Each story is about 3 to 4 pages long with 28 stories in Volumes One and Two, 31 in Volume Three, and 34 in Volume Four. It's hard to pick a favorite story in this set, as Fr. Brennan paints wonderful pictures in your head, all while teaching you a lesson. That might be the beauty of these stories. Your kids won't know they are being taught a lesson until it hits them in the end. All the lessons aren't preachy, though. Yes, there is a fair share of things not to do, but there is also a lot of emphasis on building a relationship with God, Mary, and the saints. This is refreshing, because we as Catholics don't tend to emphasize having a personal relationship with God, when that is what God wants. He wants us to be able to call on Him at anytime for anything, not just when we are in trouble or need something. Another wonderful aspect of these books, is that the stories have neither protagonists that are all young children. Your children will have examples from children their own age as well as examples of adults too. That is important, because it means that the lessons aren't just for a specific age range of children. In fact, I think I got as much out of these stories as the children did if not more.

So whether you are a new parent or a seasoned pro, you will want to invest in these books. They are also useful for teachers and catechists, and with the "Index of Topics," I mentioned earlier, you can supplement a lesson plan with a story from these books. As someone who reads A LOT of books, I'll be the first to tell you that there are a ton of books out there that will be competing for your child's attention, many with questionable morals and values. We need more books like the Angel Food for Boys and Girls, as well as other titles from Neumann Press, to help combat this current trend. I know both I and my children will enjoy these books for years to come, and with the high quality of these books, I'm sure my grandchildren (God-willing) will enjoy them too.

These books were provided to me for free by Neumann Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Cathedral and Castle (Houghton Mifflin)

David Macaulay is a masterful author, illustrator, and more importantly teacher. Using his background of architecture, which he received from Rhode Island School of Design, he created pen-and-ink drawn books, such as Cathedral, City, Pyramid, Underground, and Castle and inspired many of today's architects and engineers. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has revised and released two of these books, Cathedral and Castle, in full color format. I was fortunate enough to be granted some review copies and would like to share my thoughts with you today.

Cathedral is an 80 page hardcover, dust-jacketed, full-color reprint of the 1973 classic with the same name that is designed for kids ages 10 to 14. It takes place in France circa 13th through Century and involves the building of a Gothic cathedral in the fictitious city of Chutreaux. William of Planz is a fictitious architect tasked with the building of this monumental structure.The first architectural drawings we see are the floor plan, in traditional cruciform shape and a cross-section of the building. Each of these drawings is labeled to help teach your children both parts of a church (like nave and apse) and architectural techniques (like vaulting and flying buttresses).

We then learn about how things were built in the 13th Century. In a word, it was slow! It took many men, including masters, apprentices, and general laborers. It also took simpler tools, which your children get a glimpse of, such as levers, mallets, chisels, augers, etc. Despite the slow-going of work, buildings built then are, in my opinion, better constructed and more beautiful than today's buildings. Throughout the rest of the pages, your children will gradually see the building begin to take shape and life! Mr. Macaulay not only shows and tells you how parts of the cathedral go up, but he explains the reasoning behind it. He even goes so far as to show you stained glass being made and the cathedral bells. He also does a nice job of showing the realistic side of this kind of construction. He doesn't pretend it all happens overnight, but shows that apprentices are poor and during winter months have to take jobs "beneath them" like general laborers, or worse the bishop dies. Death was commonplace with projects of this scale, but Mr. Macaulay adds a nice touch by having the bishop being buried in the cathedral instead of the crypt. At the very end is a helpful glossary of terms, which can be good for a quiz or just learning for the sake of learning.

As Catholics, my whole family enjoyed reading this work and seeing all the effort that went into creating beautiful churches like the ones that still exist in Europe. As an architect, my wife particularly loved this book for all the details. It definitely puts a bit of images and words to, "What kind of work does Mommy do?" If you are looking for a book that is as beautiful as it is brilliant, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Not only will your kids love it, but you will too. And who knows, it might inspire the next generation of architects, and engineers.

Castle is an 80 page hardcover, dust-jacketed, full-color reprint of the 1977 classic with the same name that is designed for kids ages 10 to 14. Like Cathedral, this book takes place in the 13th Century, only in England instead of France. The fictitious castle being built is located in Aberwyvern and is "based on several castles built to aid in the conquest of Wales between 1277 and 1305. The first thing we learn in this book is location. Location is THE rule in modern-day real estate, and it held true for Castles back then. That is why the fictitious engineer "chose a high rocky outcrop that extended into the water." This provided a natural defensive advantage. We then see a floor plan for the castle and the town that was located near the castle.

Unlike Cathedral, this book shows a more detailed illustrations of the laborers, both skilled and unskilled, that went into architectural feats of this magnitude. We see diggers, carpenters, quarrymen, masons, etc. and the tools they used for each of their crafts. You will see some repeat information in this book, like the section that mentions how to protect the walls and stone from cracking in the winter. Thankfully, this repeat information is minimal, and you see fascinating original material, like the fact that walls to the castle and the town were constructed at the same time or the different defense mechanisms built into the structures of the castle. You'll read about drawbridges, learn what arrow slits and murder holes are, and even learn some of the day-to-details after the castles was built, i.e., water cisterns and cesspits (place human waste goes). He even talks about a battle that put the castle construction to the test.

I thoroughly enjoyed Castle, and highly recommend it. One could argue it could be more geared towards boys than girls, because when one thinks of castles and knights, you think boys, not girls, but I implore you to encourage all your children to read this book. It is not only educational, but fun as well! Here's hoping Houghton Mifflin Harcourt continues to re-print these great works in color.

These books were provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. If you found them helpful, click here and/or here and hit Yes!

My First Classical Music Book and My First Orchestra Book (Naxos Books)

Another month has come and gone, and the books keep pouring in at Stuart's Study. Sometimes, I (and I'm sure my wife) feel like we are going to have to add a wing to the house just to house all of our books. It is a great problem to have, though, and one I wouldn't trade. Starting this blog has not only exposed me to a world of Catholic books I never would have known about, but it has also exposed me to a world of children's books too. It has also helped restore my faith in some of the publishing world to know that there are still publishers out there who print quality books for kids, and not Twilight or other garbage series. Naxos Books is one of those publishers, and even though they don't specialize in publishing children's books, they have released two recently that are worth checking out.

My First Classical Music Book is large hardcover book written by Genevieve Helsby and illustrated by Jason Chapman. The book begins by discussing what music is and where you can find it in our everyday lives. One place we see music utilized is in TV and movies. The book uses legendary American composer John Williams as their example. Though, I know Williams primarily from Star Wars, the book uses his work from the Harry Potter film as their example. The book then instructs your children to other places they hear music including dance, weddings, theatres and concert halls.

Next, in the book they will learn about famous composer through the ages. Such composers they will learn about include Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and the recent John Adams. You will notice that this isn't every possible composer, because my favorite, Handel, was not listed. Nevertheless, it is a good introductory list. Each composer receives two pages of facts, illustrations, and a brief description of their music. For example, Tchaikovsky's music is categorized as ballet music. The final section is dedicated to instruments. The author takes us through each family of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboard) and gives us about a paragraph of detail (either description of the instrument or who played the instrument really well or both) related to each individual instrument. This is a great section as it introduces your child to instruments they might never have heard of before, and might pique their interest in learning their first instrument or an additional instrument.

There are a lot of things to love about this book. The illustrations are cartoon in style, which will appeal to the younger reader. The words are in a large print and there is an appropriate amount on the page. By this I mean that there aren't huge chunks of text, but a good representation of illustration and text on the page. My favorite part, though, is the accompanying CD. You will want to have a CD player nearby while reading this book to your child, because almost every page has a track that corresponds to it. For example, when learning about the woodwind family, your child will hear a selection of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf." They can also just listen to the CD by itself at anytime. This is a 5-star book and the perfect introduction to classical music for elementary to middle school grade children. I think I enjoyed it as much as kids will!

My First Orchestra Book is the "sequel" to My First Classical Music Book. It too is written by Genevieve Helsby, but the illustrator for this volume is Karin Eklund, not Jason Chapman. This book begins a bit odd. Your child is introduced to a troll named Tormod who travels down from his mountain to discover more types of music. In his travels, he discovers the orchestra and serves as your guide through the book.

The primary focus of this book is families of instruments. Where My First Classical Music Book gave you a brief introduction to these families and instruments, this book provides you with more details. Also, unlike the first book, only the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families are discussed. There is no mention of the keyboard family. Like the first book, though, there is an accompanying CD with tracks to play corresponding to different pages. Every section begins by describing the common characteristics of a particular family. For example, in the woodwind family, the instruments they all have a long tube-like shape and they all have reeds. Each of the instruments detailed in each family is given two pages with details on how the instrument sounds and how many are generally found in an orchestra. At the end of the book are details on what a conductor is as well as some "part-time" orchestra instruments like the harp.

This was a good follow-up book, and leaves me wondering if there will be a third in the series or just these two. I have some minor gripes about this book. I didn't like the troll story/guide, but that could just be me being a stodgy adult. I also preferred the illustrations in My First Classical Music Book better. They just felt a little more whimsical and inviting to me. Those complaints aside there were parts of this book I really loved. I particularly appreciate the way the author presents the material to children. She makes it fun and easily understood. She also does a masterful job picking out the appropriate songs for each instrument. What I really appreciated related to the CD and the song choice was that you get 2 tracks for almost every instrument. You get to hear what the instrument sounds like by itself, and then you get to hear what a group of the same instrument sounds like together. This creates a lasting impression on the reader, and will hopefully build a love for music and the orchestra in them that they want to take up an instrument, or at the very least go see some shows.

These books were provided to me for free by Naxos Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found the reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes! Also be sure to check out their website for other books, CDs, etc. related to Classical Music!

The Adventures of Pinocchio (Sterling Publishing)

If you want the next generation of adults to love reading, you have to instill that love in them when they are children. Unfortunately, that task is much harder than it used to be, due to all the distractions that exist now. From television to video games, smartphones to tablets, books are fighting an uphill battle. Thankfully, there are still publishers out there who believe in printing quality books to engage your children's imaginations. Sterling Publishers is one of those companies, and today I am reviewing the book The Adventures of Pinocchio.

The Adventures of Pinocchio is the latest release from the Sterling Illustrated Classics line. It is also my first experience with this line of books, so I wasn't sure what I'd be getting in terms of book quality. Most children's hardcovers that I own are generally 8.5" x 11" with about 30 or so glossy pages. This book, however, is 8" x 9.5" with 200+ thick pages and a ribbon to mark your place. When you take off the dust jacket, you see an imprint of carpenter's tools on the front of the book. This is a minor thing, but I feels it adds a touch of class to the book. It also shows an attention to detail that many publishers lack. Opening the book literally caused both mine and my wife's jaws to drop. There are rich illustrations on every page. The illustrator, Robert Ingpen, who I learned has done all the books in this series, went above and beyond in his duty. He also provides an explanation at the end of the book of why he chose to illustrate the way he did. Mr. Ingpen provided an exquisite picture at the beginning of every chapter to entice and invite children into the story to learn what is going to happen in the story.

As for the story, where do I begin? I admit to being ignorant to the story of Pinocchio. I have seen the Disney movie several times, and I always just assumed that it was based on some sort of Grimm or Anderson fairy tale. In actuality, the story was written by Italian author Carlo Collodi in the late 1800s. There are various aspects in this story that one will recognize from the Disney movie, like Gepetto, the Talking Cricket, the desire to be a real boy, etc. However, the book is a bit darker. For example, Gepetto is not some kindly old man but quick-tempered and prone to explosions. Pinocchio, himself, doesn't start off completely innocent (as in the movie), but is mischievous from the beginning and downright mean as he kills the Talking Cricket in Chapter 4.

A lot of parents might not be okay with this darkness and trouble the young puppet gets into. I would not be one of those parents though. This is a book that is heavy in allegory, and it is why some people view Pinocchio as an epic hero. Like other epic heroes, Pinocchio must travel to hell, but he ultimately comes back with greater knowledge and compassion. In doing so, he finally achieves his life-long goal and becomes a real boy. There are many versions of The Adventures of Pinocchio on the market. However, Sterling Publishers is the one I want on my shelf; the one I will read to my children time and time again; and one I will wholeheartedly recommend to others. Be sure to look for other titles in their Illustrated Classics line, because they really do a wonderful job of making the story come alive!

This book was provided to me for free by Sterling Publishers in exchange for an honest review! If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Hittite Warrior (Bethlehem Books)

History was never my strongest subject in school. I made As and Bs, but I was bored the ENTIRE time. Boring textbooks. Long lists of people and dates to memorize. To people who enjoy that sort of thing, I applaud you. It has never been me and will never be me. That's why homeschooling is an appealing option for my family. You can pull from more sources than just textbooks, like living books or historical fiction. One such company, Bethlehem Books, is doing a masterful job targeting the homeschooling crowd with their impressive catalog of reprinted "historical fiction, adventure tales, biographies, and family stories." Today, I will be reviewing one of their popular books entitled Hittite Warrior.

Hittite Warrior tells the story of a teenage Hittite boy named Uriah-Tarhund. He came from a people who ruled the "northern world" and the Egyptians ruled the "southern world." His father was a lord and kinsman of the chief province of Arzawa. One fateful day, in the 13th year of the reign of the king, his father and he embarked to Hattusas to pay tribute. Little did he know that trip would end so tragically. While on his journey, his mother and sister were killed. His entire province was decimated and many were killed. Three years later his father died, but not before making Uriah promise to travel to Canaan and live there. Travelling with a caravan, his decision to save the life of a young trader named Hannibaal took him to Tyre where he made a friend named Jotham, a Hebrew. This friendship set him on a path that would change his life forever.

The book is based during the time of the Judges, which was roughly 1200 B.C. If you have read through the Old Testament book of Judges with your children, they will recognize the two important names of Deborah and Barak. Deborah and Barak are the two judges who defeated the Canaanites in Judges 4. They will also recognize the song of Deborah from Judges 5. They will also learn a bit of geography. There is a tiny map in the front that serves as a basic guide for the region of the book, but they can further their knowledge by having an atlas or world map and track the journeys of Uriah. Your children will also be exposed to different societies, religious practices, and customs of these ancient people. For example, they will learn about an ancient Ammonite god named Moloch who required the sacrifice of a young child to appease him.

This is an A+ historical fiction novel for children 10 and up. I, a 30+ male, had a hard time putting this book down and read it in one weekend. While I would argue that this book is more geared towards a male audience, girls might enjoy it as well. What I really loved about this book is the era and region it was written about. So much historical fiction based in ancient times focuses on Egypt or Rome and that's it. Ms. Williamson chose a neglected but equally important region and delivered a masterpiece. I am very pleased with Bethlehem Books' Living History Library series and cannot wait to dive into another book. Be sure to check out other books from this author, particularly God King.

This book was provided to me for free by Bethlehem Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Stations of the Cross and The Joyful Mysteries (Holy Heroes)

The Stations of the Cross from Holy Heroes is an hour long CD that contains two versions of The Stations of the Cross on it. Unlike other recordings, this one is by kids and for kids. Yes, you will hear an adult narrator for some of the introductory material, but that's about it. I admit that the adult in me wanted the narrator, Jim Morlino, to do the whole thing as he has a great voice. (It reminded me a bit of Mr. Whitaker from Adventures in Odyssey for any former Protestants out there.) However, your kids would probably space out if it was just another adult talking and praying, and this is a CD for kids.

For starters the kids are very reverent and speak clearly. I wasn't sure how it would fare with them doing the bulk of the praying, but they did a fine job. I really enjoyed all the background noises. It would be considered something similar to a "dramatic reading" of the Bible. If you close your eyes, it's like you're there. I LOVED that they included the Stabat Mater at the end of every Station in the longer version. I'm a big fan of that tradition with praying the Stations and the voices singing it were beautiful. I appreciate that each Station is on a separate track for easy navigation. I also loved the Introduction and How to Pray Opening Track, as it makes for a perfect resource for school, homeschool, or Sunday School. However, one thing did bug me about the Introduction. It says something to the effect of you start The Stations of the Cross with an opening prayer. However, they don't have this opening prayer in the longer version (or else i missed it). You can hear an opening prayer in the shorter version for radio, but then you don't get the Stabat Mater. So that's one of the few, if only things I would change about the CD. If your kids need a book to pray along with there is a prayer book available here and a coloring book for the younger ones here! Overall this was a great CD though, and I highly recommend it.

The Joyful Mysteries also from Holy Heroes is the first of four CDs released by them, which teaches your children to pray the Rosary. Like The Stations of the Cross, this CD is recorded by kids and for kids. Though, I'm not sure of the age range for the children praying, it definitely goes from young to tween or teenager. Each Mystery comes with an introduction and Scripture meditations. That means that before every Hail Mary, you and your family will hear a verse or two related to the Mystery. This is a true Scriptural Rosary! The entire Rosary takes about 30 minutes to pray, which is standard, and at the end is a brief history lesson about The Miracle of Lepanto and the role of Rosary in this naval battle.

At times, some of the younger children are hard to understand. You, the parent, and your kids probably know the words to the Hail Mary, but if you are using this as a teaching tool, it can be a bit distracting and unhelpful. I'm conflicted on the inclusion of the Spanish version being included on this CD. On the one hand, it's cost-effective and can be used by both English and Spanish speakers. On the other hand, I wish they had done an abbreviated version of the Rosary, like they did with The Stations of the Cross. This would be especially helpful for younger children who can only sit still for 15 minutes and not a full 30 minutes. If not a shorter version, perhaps they could have included two sets of Mysteries per CD (like Joyful and Luminous on one and Sorrowful and Glorious on the other). Had they done this, they still would had to have make 4 CDs (2 for English and 2 for Spanish), but families would only have to buy 2 CDs, not 4. This is still a great family CD worth investing in, and I will definitely look into completing my set.

Be sure to check out other great selections from them, including Glory Stories, which tell about different Saints and some of their DVD movies, like the new Inside the Sacraments: The Holy Eucharist! I'll be reviewing a Glory Story and the DVD I just mentioned on my blog soon. Also, be sure to check their site daily for their Deal of the Day, where you can get some of their great products at a better price! These CDs were provided to me for free by Holy Heroes in exchange for an honest review.

Saints and Friendly Beasts (Neumann Press)

Back in October 2013, TAN Books did something truly awesome and acquired Neumann Press. In doing so, TAN Books not only acquired a publisher that tripled their selection of children's titles, but Neumann Press also provides a comprehensive homeschooling line. For those unfamiliar with Neumann Press, they specialize in reprinting vintage children's books and homeschooling resources. Some of these series include, Angel Food for Boys and Girls, American Cardinal Readers, and Saints and Friendly Beasts (of which I will be reviewing two of today). Without further ado, here are my reviews.

Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice is a 6'' x 8" hardcover reprint of a 1960s children's classic. It is 45 pages in length with semi-thick paper, and it contains pencil sketches (classic to the 1960s) on almost every page. The book starts off explaining the rough childhood of young Martin. He grew up in a poor family in Peru in the late 1500s. His father left when he was young, and his mother was tasked with raising the children as a single mother. Martin always showed a kindness to all, but especially animals. He would feed and doctor all the hungry and sick animals of the world if he could. We continue on in this story and see Martin gain an education, apprentice as a barber-doctor, and eventually find his true calling as a Lay Brother of the Dominican Order. You may be asking, "What about the mice?" You'll have to buy the book to hear those wonderful tales.

When reading through this book, you will have to instruct your children about the era in which it is written. There are hints of racism that St. Martin must overcome for being black. The language with which St. Martin speaks also comes off uneducated. That doesn't make this book bad. It just means you can use it as a teaching tool for how people viewed black people, both in the late 1500s (when St. Martin lived) and in the 1960s (when this book was published.) I did enjoy the book, and I like the message of loving all of God's creatures, even those as tiny as the mouse. I also liked the message of overcoming obstacles in life, and keeping your soul "shining and white." If I had one thing to change, I would want the title on the spine of the book, so it's easy to pick out on a bookshelf. Highly recommended book for Catholic homeschooling families and those who want to learn more about St. Martin de Porres.

Saint Germaine and the Sheep is also a 6" x 8" hardcover reprint of a 1960s classic. It is 48 pages in length with semi-thick paper, and it contains pencil sketches (classic to the 1960s) on almost every page. The book starts off with children gathering around a young shepherdess named Germaine and asking her for a story. Germaine was born with a skin disease and a withered hand in Pibrac, France in the late 1500s. Despite her unattractive appearance, the children who love her and her stories don't notice, because she is so beautiful on the inside. Unfortunately, her mother died at a young age and her father remarried a nasty woman who was mean to Germaine. To make matters worse, villagers accused Germaine of false piety with the logic that a pious person would not be ugly. How wrong they were.

Being a shepherdess was mostly rewarding for Germaine, but she missed being able to go to Mass often. Eventually, she decided she just had to go to Mass, and she found a way to keep the sheep safe while she went to church. You'll have to buy the book to find out how. This went on for a while, and she grew holier and her step-mother and the villagers grew nicer toward Germaine. Your children will learn many lessons from this book, but two stood out to me most of all. The first lesson is to always put God first in everything. The second lesson is to not judge someone by outward appearances. I have nothing negative to say about the content of this book, but like the other books in this series, I wish that the title were written on the spine. That small lament aside, I still highly recommend this book for all Catholic families.

These books were provided to be my by Neumann Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found the reviews helpful, please click here or here and hit Yes!

Meditations for Holy Week and The Miracle of the Red Egg (Ancient Faith Publishing)

Another month has come and gone, and we are at the beginning of April. Where did the time go?! Not only is my son almost 1 year old, but Easter is rapidly approaching as well! Today, I have two Orthodox books to share with you. One focuses on Holy Week and is aimed for adults. The other focuses on Easter, and while intended for children, is suitable for kids and adults alike! Without further ado, here are the reviews.

Meditations for Holy Week is the third book in Fr. Vassilos Papavassiliou's "Meditations" series, with the previous two being Meditations for Great Lent and Meditations for Advent. The book is divided into two parts. Part I is "The Bridegroom Service," which covers Great and Holy Monday through Great and Holy Wednesday and Part II is "The Lord's Passion, Death, and Resurrection," which covers Great and Holy Thursday through Great and Holy Pascha.

The book is rich with hymns and readings from the liturgical services of Holy Week, which Fr. Papavassiliou meditates on to draw us deeper into this most sacred week of the Church year. Many will focus on Thursday through Sunday as this is where the "joyful sorrow" reaches its pinnacle with the Crucifixion and Resurrection. That is perfectly fine. There are sections in this book that all Christians, not just Orthodox, would do well to read, particularly Chapter 9 "The Suffering Servant." Many Christians and non-Christians have the wrong idea about Christ's words, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Fr. Papavassiliou first explains that this was a cry of pain. Christ was both fully divine and fully human after all, so to imagine that He experienced no pain on the cross is absurd. We then receive the explanation of Christ's words. He was not despairing, but instead was praying or reciting Psalm 21/22. This psalm is a prophecy of His Crucifixion, but it is not a psalm of despair. Christ was not murdered, but freely sacrificed His life for our salvation.

Despite the depth and beauty of Thursday through Sunday, I felt myself being drawn more to the meditations for Monday through Wednesday. As a Roman Catholic, we don't focus on these days much in our liturgical year. They just kind of blend into Lent until Holy Thursday arrives. For that reason, it was interesting to read how the Orthodox celebrate during this time. I was truly fascinated by the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the theme of Christ as the Bridegroom. Since the Bridegroom theme is one that focuses on Christ's Second Coming, we don't usually make the connection of Lent and Second Coming. However, we must be reminded that "The Suffering Servant will come again as Judge, and so we are exhorted to repent that we may not be shut out of 'the bridal chamber' of Christ (the Kingdom of heaven)."

This is the perfect meditation book to get you through Holy Week and is a worthy companion piece to Meditations for Great Lent. Fr. Papavassiliou once again shows himself to be a brilliant mind. He conveys the beauty of the Church seasons in easy to understand language and does so without watering down the message. We can only hope that he continues this series and give us a Meditations for Pascha or Meditations for the Twelve Great Feasts. Five stars.

The Miracle of the Red Egg is another fabulous children's book from Elizabeth Crispina Johnson. Drawing on tradition, Ms. Johnson explains the story of Mary Magdalene and the first "Easter egg." For those unfamiliar with the story, it centers around Mary Magdalene attending a feast hosted by the unbelieving Emperor Tiberius. Unable to contain her joy of the Resurrected Jesus, she tells guests seated near her, and word quickly reaches the ears of the Emperor. In disgust and disbelief he proclaims, "Do you see this egg? I declare that Jesus can no more have risen from the dead, than this egg could turn blood red." To everyone's amazement, the egg did turn red.

The book is an absolute treasure. It makes a perfect and unique Easter gift for your children instead of peeps and chocolate bunnies. There are beautiful illustrations on every page with what I would describe as colored pencil sketches. Additionally, at the end of the book, your children will see icons for Pascha and Mary Magdalene. There is also the Kontakion of Mary Magdalene and the Blessing of the Eggs. So if you're sick of the Easter Bunny or just want your children to have a more religious meaning behind Easter eggs, you'll want a copy of this book. If you are interested in dying your own eggs red, be sure to check out Ancient Faith Publishing for a $6 kit to get your eggs a deep, rich color. Also, be sure to check out Ms. Johnson's other books, And Then Nicholas Sang and What Do You Hear, Angel.

These books were provided to me for free by Ancient Faith Publishing in exchange for an honest review. If you found the reviews helpful, please click here and here and hit Yes!

Gospel Time Trekkers Vols. 4, 5, and 6 (Pauline Books and Media)

Late last year, Pauline Books and Media released the first three books of their Gospel Time Trekkers series, and I was blessed enough to review them. Early this year, the final three volumes have been released. For those who forgot the plot of these books, they revolved around three siblings (Caleb, Hannah, and Noah) who are sometimes graced with the opportunity to travel back in time to Jesus' day. So far they have been to Bethlehem, Cana, and Gennesaret. Let's find out where they go in the next three.

Mystery of the Missing Jars is the 4th book in the Gospel Time Trekkers series, and the first one that involves a mystery. This particular volume takes place in Capernaum, where our three protagonists (Caleb, Hannah, and Noah) meet a girl named Sarah who is the daughter of Jairus. This is a reference to the miracle Jesus performed of resurrecting Jairus' daughter. Jairus in addition to being a synagogue official is a potter. Unfortunately, someone has stolen some of his precious pottery, and they must find out who before Caleb is completely blamed. Read the book to find out who did it.

There are many things I liked about this book, primarily that the mystery added a genre expansion to this kid's adventure series. I also enjoyed the fact that it teaches kids how scales, weights, and balance worked. In addition to learning this, your children also learn a little bit about clay and pottery. This 70+ page book is a great price and a great read for your young reader. 5 stars.

Courageous Quest adds a new twist to the Gospel Time Trekkers series. While helping their mom babysit a little boy named Garrett, the three children (Caleb, Hannah, and Noah) are transported back into Jesus' time. Remarkably, Garrett is transported as well. This time they are back in the town of Jericho. Like the other books, they are looking for Jesus, who is unfortunately in Jerusalem. They want to travel to look for him, but they can't because robbers roam the roads making them unsafe, and the trip would be too long for Garrett.

In true stubborn-kid fashion, one of them makes a poor decision and decides to venture out on his own. To find out which one and the consequences, you'll have to buy the book. Amidst the peril and danger in this book, your children will learn about two other Biblical figures who encountered Jesus. One of them is Bartimaeus, and the other is Zacchaeus. With Bartimaeus' restored sight, and Zacchaeus' tree-climbing ability, they make the perfect team to help locate the sibling who ran away.

Discovery at Dawn is the 6th and final volume of the Gospel Time Trekker series. It is hands down my favorite of the six too! In this book, our three protagonists (Caleb, Hannah, and Noah) make it to Jerusalem. They remember that this is where Jesus was last time they time-travelled, and hope that He is still there. What they don't realize though is that Jesus has just been crucified. They learn this sad news from none other than Jesus' apostles. However, all hope is not lost.

SPOILER ALERT: The title will tell you what happens, but I will go ahead and spell it out. The children are present when Mary Magdalene sees the resurrected Jesus. After sending Mary Magdalene to go tell the Apostles, Jesus addresses the children by name and gives them a mission to go tell people His message. They are then transported back to their own time. END SPOILER

After this, the children think back on their many adventures. They also finally figure out the secret to how and why they were able to time travel. That you will have to buy the book to find out though. Unfortunately, in discovering the secret, they fear it has closed off the possibility of future time-travel adventures. There are hints that there may be different kinds of adventures in the future, and I hope that the author, Sr. Maria Grace Dateno, will do a followup-series geared at kids 10+. This book like the other 5 volumes in the Gospel Time Trekkers series, deserves 5 stars.

These books were provided to me for free Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review. If you found them helpful click here, here, and here and hit Yes!

Brother Francis Presents Born into the Kingdom (Herald Entertainment)

Born into the Kingdom is Volume 5 in the Brother Francis series. So far, this cartoon Brother has taught us about prayer, the Eucharist, Confession, the Rosary, and Christmas. This episode we learn about Baptism. We begin by seeing Brother Francis looking through an old picture album. This is appropriate and a good representation for children to associate with Baptism, as we become part of the family of God when we are baptized.

Next, we learn about Original Sin by going all the way back to Adam and Eve. This section doesn't pull any punches, and shows a very realistic and Biblically accurate representation of Genesis. It's nice when the Faith isn't watered down. We don't always give our children as much credit as they deserve when it comes to understanding the Faith.

The last section of the DVD walks you through the actual Sacrament. Since most Catholic children are baptized as babies, they will not remember theirs and might not witness the Sacrament unless they have younger siblings. This video walks them through the basics, including what the priest says, what the parents and godparents say, the prayer of exorcism, etc. Parents could learn as much in this section as their children. I loved Born into the Kingdom as much as I loved the previous episodes from Brother Francis. Be sure to check out Volume 6, The Mass, which was just released.

I received this DVD for free from Herald Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, click here and hit Yes!

The Blue Fairy Book (Hesperus Press)

With the introduction of Common Core, lack of God in public schools, and growing safety concerns, the homeschooling movement is growing stronger in the United States. I for one am thrilled as children are once again being taught Latin and Greek. It is also great because publishers are starting to re-print some classic works. However, they will only continue to print these works if we support them and buy their titles. Hesperus Press was generous enough to send me two works, The Blue Fairy Book and The Red Fairy Book to review.

If you're like me, you probably grew up on fairy tales. We live in a Disney society of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc. But have you ever taken the time to read the actual fairy tales? The Brothers Grimm? Hans Christian Andersen? There are some similarities between Disney and Grimm, but the differences is where the beauty is. In this reprint of a classic, Andrew Lang gathered fairy tales from around the world, edited, and compiled them into different fairy books.

For those who have not read these fairy tale books before, I will reference "Beauty and the Beast." Mr. Lang draws this tale from Mme de Villenvue, and it is quite different than the Disney version. For starters, Beast wasn't a bratty and spoiled prince, but cursed by an evil fairy. Beauty (not called Belle in this version) is not an only child, but has many brothers and sisters. She is the son of a merchant, who had Job-like misfortunes and lost everything. Ultimately Beauty and the Beast end up together (like Disney), but the story read better than Disney could have imagined.

For those familiar with Andrew Lang's work, you already know about the quality of the writing and probably want to know about the quality of the physical book. In a word, the book is superb. It's hardcover, with a vibrant blue dust jacket. The pages are of a nice thickness, and it contains original artwork from the original works. I've seen other editions of this work from other publishers, and I would pick the Hesperus Press one every time. It is built to stand the test of time and wear and will look beautiful on your shelf! I just hope they continue to print the rest of the series, but they can only do that if we buy the two that are already out. So if you are looking for a wonderful, quality book on fairy tales to read to your children, grab both The Blue Fairy Book and The Red Fairy Book from Hesperus Press.

I received this book for free from Hesperus Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes!

Saint Bernadette and Saint Joan of Arc (Pauline Books and Media)

Back in October, I had the pleasure of reviewing two graphic novels from Pauline Books and Media called Saint Francis of Assisi: Messenger of Peace and Saint Ignatius of Loyola: Leading the Way. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, but noticed that these were geared toward boys, not that there is anything wrong with that. So I investigated their site and found two graphic novels geared toward girls called Saint Bernadette: The Miracle of Lourdes and Saint Joan of Arc: Quest for Peace. and Both of them are written by Bruno Mar and illustrated by Dominque Bar.

Saint Bernadette: The Miracle of Lourdes begins with doubt. The first apparition has already occurred at Lourdes, and Commissioner Jacomet doesn't believe any part of the story. Also among the doubters is Father Peyramale and perhaps worst of all young Bernadette's friends and family. This lack of faith of others, however, does nothing to shake her faith. She knows what she has seen, and she knows that she must keep her word to continue to visit the grotto despite being told by the police to stop. Eventually, Bernadette is able to confirm that the lady in white is indeed the Virgin Mary when she asks her name. Mary replies, "I am the Immaculate Conception."

I really wish that this book would have given more information about St. Bernadette's life before and after the Lourdes apparition. However, I did appreciate the final page of the book, which gave a paragraph summary of what happened to the major people in this event. We are also presented with key statistics on Lourdes, such as the number of yearly pilgrims and number of healings that have occurred.  information surrounding the Lourdes apparition, but very little about Bernadette. With great illustrations and a compelling story, your kids will love to learn about Our Lady of Lourdes in this graphic novel!

Saint Joan of Arc: Quest for Peace begins in the midst of the Hundred Years' War. England and France are deep in a war that has affected several generations of people. What is the motivation for this war? England is trying to gain control of France and make all their future kings, king of both England and France. France is in desperate need of a hero, a military force who will help end this war and secure victory. Little did they know that this hero would come in the form of a teenage girl named Joan.

The rest of this book then goes on and shows both battles and politics. With all her victories, people begin to wonder if Joan is actually a witch. However, it is clear that she has a close relationship with God and is a saint in the making. The politics were the saddest part of the book to me. Corrupt clergy and people in France were conspiring against Joan and France all for the love of money. The book then tragically ends with Joan being burnt at the stake. I falsely assumed that because this graphic novel was about a female saint that it would only appeal to girls. I was SORELY wrong, and I can see how it would appeal to boys and girls alike. It would also be an excellent supplement for a European or World History class to make the story of the Hundred Years' War come alive. I highly recommend this book.

Both of these books are worthy of the 5-star rating. Modern day graphic novels are full of questionable and unrealistic "superheroes," who live in a world of moral grays. These two graphic novels give us heroes of the Faith. They were ridiculed, persecuted, and endured many adversities. With God's help and guidance, they persevered and won the ultimate prize salvation and sainthood. May these books inspire us and our children to persevere in the faith and race toward the ultimate goal, our heavenly home!

If you found these reviews helpful click here and here, and hit Yes!

And Then Nicholas Sang & Sweet Song (Ancient Faith Publishing)

I receive over 100 books to review a year. Some are high theology; some are practical books on living a holy life. However, with all the books I'm sent to review, I find the greatest joy in the children's books. Is that weird? Maybe it's the simple, yet beautiful way the faith is portrayed. Maybe, I love the fact that there are so many Catholic and Orthodox options for my son to read and have read to him. Whatever it is, I love these books. So this week, the Children's Corner of my blog is getting TWO days dedicated to it. Not only that, I'm featuring TWO books per day! Today, I'll be reviewing books from Ancient Faith Publishing.

And then Nicholas Sang tell the story of the Trisagion (Thrice Holy) hymn. For those unfamiliar with this hymn, it goes "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us." Tradition says that Constantinople used to suffer from terrible earthquakes. One day while the people were praying for God's mercy, a boy was lifted into heaven, learned the Trisagion, and came back down and taught the people. Then, the earthquakes stopped. Though the boy is not named in tradition, this book names him Nicholas.

In addition to your children reading about this story, they can also read about the original tradition, which I stated above. At the end a glossary is included, which lists a few key terms and tells a brief history of Constantinople and a short biography about the Emperor Theodosius II. The watercolor illustrations will captivate children of all ages, and the story is masterfully told. It's also hardcover, so it will stand up to some abuse that younger kids might put on it. Five stars!

Sweet Song tell the story of a lesser known saint in the West, Saint Romanos the Melodist. For those of you unfamiliar with this saint, he was a young, humble boy who dearly loved the Lord and worshiping the Lord. Unfortunately, he was a terrible singer. (I can relate, as I'm sure many can.) He tried his hardest every time he was called upon to sing in Church, but he was never any good, and the other singers made fun of him. One Christmas Eve, a miracle occurred, and he was able to sing gloriously at the Christmas Vigil. What happened? Buy the book and find out!

The illustrations in this book are darker than one would expect from a children's book. However, that darkness helps create a nice contrast when young Romanos finally is able to sing like he always dreamed. At the end of this book, a whole page is dedicated to more information about St. Romanos including his feast day, October 1st, and interesting facts. For example, some sources say he composed over one thousand hymns. Unfortunately, only 80 are still in existence. If your child loves music, this is the book for them. It's a beautiful story of our faith, so they will learn while reading and not even know it. Pair it with And then Nicholas Sang and build up their library of faith! Five stars.

These books were provided to me for free by Ancient Faith Publishing. If you found these review helpful, click here and here and hit Yes!

Brother Francis Presents The King is Born (Herald Entertainment)

Christmas season is quickly approaching! Have you got all your shopping done, or are you still looking for that one perfect gift? Perhaps, you could get the child (or children) in your life some Brother Francis DVDs. They have a 20% off special going through December 20th for all six DVDs and coloring books located here. Just remember to order by December 13th if you want to guarantee your packages arrives before Christmas. Today, I will be reviewing one of their latest releases on Christmas, called The King is Born.

The King is Born begins by talking about all the traditions and activities people associate with Christmas, including decorating a tree, baking cookies, and exchanging presents. He then explains that with all the hustle and bustle of the season, it's easy to forget the true reason for the season, Christ's birthday. He follows this up with the example of how you would feel if you had a birthday party and everyone ignored you and just focused on themselves instead. We have birthday parties to show appreciation and thankfulness for the person's birth. This leads us to how thankful we should be that Jesus came to earth to be born and ultimately die and save us from our sins.

Brother Francis then tells us the Biblical account of the Christmas story. I appreciate the fact that this DVD told the WHOLE story, too! We begin with Gabriel appearing to Zechariah and telling him that his wife Elizabeth will bear him a son and that he should name his son John. Then comes the Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary, Mary's Visitation to Elizabeth, the birth of John the Baptist and the Nativity of Jesus. It wraps up with Jesus' Presentation in the Temple, and Simeon prophesying to Mary about the sorrow she will experience. I wish there would have been mention of Herod, the Magi, and the Holy Innocents, but I am impressed with all the aspects of the Christmas story it did cover. Lastly, after the Christmas story is over, Brother Francis offers a succinct summary of how Christmas is just the beginning of the story of God's love.

This is the perfect Christmas gift for your little ones, but I'd honestly recommend opening it up early and watching it during Advent. Your kids are bound to get distracted by all the lights and presents and talk of Santa, and that's fine. They are just kids. However, it is our job to make sure that they know the real "reason for the season" and not let the other distractions envelop the whole season of Advent and Christmas. I very much recommend this DVD for parents of little ones, catechists, and teachers in Catholic or Christian schools.

I received this DVD for free from Herald Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, click here and hit Yes!

Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing (Franciscan Media)

Welcome back to the Children's Corner here at Stuart's Study. I told myself I was only going to review two products a week, but that's not going to happen this month. I have some season-specific products that I need to review, so for at least the next two weeks I'll be back to 3 posts a week. I received this latest book, Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing, from Catholic Company's reviewer program. Unfortunately, it seems the program has been suspended at the moment, so that's a bit depressing, but hopefully it will be back in the future!

Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing takes places in the month of December in Naples, Italy.  The story centers around a boy named Alessandro who is living with his grandparents temporarily since his parents are away in another country for work. His grandfather has a pretty awesome job (in my opinion). He is a craftsman who makes Nativity figurines. December is an especially busy time for the grandfather both because of his job and because Bambinelli Sunday is quickly approaching. What is Bambinelli Sunday? Bambinelli Sunday occurs on the Third Sunday of Advent, and it involves children bringing their baby Jesus figurines to the Pope (or parish priest) to be blessed before placing them in the manger for Christmas. In this story, Alessandro learns about faith, generosity, love, and the true meaning of Christmas.

This is another wonderful hardcover children's book from Amy Welborn, with beautiful illustrations to boot. The main character, Alessandro, had a very real feel to him. It's easy for Catholic children's authors to portray Catholic children as perfect, angelic beings, but Amy Welborn gives us a character with depth who we see mature and grow in love as the story progresses. She also introduces the tradition of Bambinelli Sunday, which many Americans are unfamiliar with. I spoke with our Director of Religious Education to see if we could get the priests to start doing it in our Church. I recommend you ask your priests as well! I also encourage you to pick up a copy of this book in time to prepare for Bambinelli Sunday with your little ones!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

Jorge from Argentia and Blessed James Alberione (Pauline Books and Media)

Welcome back to the Children's Corner. Unfortunately, this segment doesn't appear as often as it used to at Stuart's Study. The Catholic publishing industry does print hundreds of books a year, but I'd say about only a dozen or so of those books are geared towards kids. Luckily, we have companies like Pauline Books and Media who keep printing faithful children's books, while everyone else is focused mainly on adults. Today, therefore, I am reviewing two of their books - Jorge from Argentina and Blessed James Alberione: Media Apostle.

Jorge from Argentina is a biography of Pope Francis told at a level that children can understand. This book begins with the wedding of Jorge's parents and his subsequent birth.  It ends with his election as Pope and the most recent World Youth Day in Brazil. Interspersed throughout the biography are interesting facts about his life that show us what made him the man he is today. For example, as a young boy, he spent days with his grandparents where they spoke Italian to him. This exposure to a second language explains why he is fluent in both Italian and Spanish. One chapter even talks about where he first discovered his call to priesthood at the age of 17. This was a beautiful chapter that teaches children to always be open and listening to God. In doing so, God will reveal His will for their lives to them.

This is the third book published from Pauline Books and Media that tells the life story of the current pope with the previous two books in the "series" being Karol from Poland and Joseph from Germany. While my son (and future children) were not alive for the reigns of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, I still bought these books so they can know about the popes who helped shape my faith. Like the first two books in this "series," Jorge from Argentina's  story and pictures will captivate your young readers. You might learn something too from reading it with/to them. My only gripe with the book is that it is a different size than Karol from Poland and Joseph from Germany.I'm a big fan of books in series looking uniform. That minor gripe aside, I still recommend this book to you all. As an added bonus, it is also available in Spanish under the title Jorge de Argentina!

Blessed James Alberione: Media Apostleis the 32nd book in the Encounter the Saints Series. For those of you unfamiliar with the books in this series, they are pocket-sized biographies of saints or near-saints. I'm ashamed to admit that I have never heard of Fr. James Alberione until today, not because I think I know every saint in Heaven but because he was the founder of both the Society of St. Paul and the Daughters of St. Paul. The Daughters of St. Paul is the group that published this and many other books I have reviewed. The book is approximately 130 pages long and is recommended for children ages 9-13. However, I believe your high schooler could benefit from reading it as well.

Apart from the interesting details of Fr. James Alberione's early life, I found the most fascinating parts of the book were his life after he was ordained. From all accounts, it seems like he should be fulfilled in his vocation. He had a doctorate in theology (something I would love to have), and he was working as a teacher, a spiritual director, and an associate pastor. However, there was still a yearning inside of him to do more. I think we all feel that call, but we don't always act on it. Fr. James did not make this mistake of ignoring the call. Instead, he responded with gusto and used media such as radio, film, and, my favorite, printed works to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If it wasn't for him, there would be A LOT less Catholic children's books in the U.S today. This was such a well-written book that I now want to read the rest of the series. I guess I better start saving up, because I am 31 behind! Your children will love to read this, and you will probably want to borrow it when they are done. I can't wait to see what Volume 33 will be.

I received both of these books for free from Pauline Books and Media, in exchange for honest reviews. If you found the reviews helpful click here and here, and hit Yes!