Book Review: The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese is one of my favorite saints.  The simplicity of her Little Way just amazes me, and I like how her example is excellent for teaching little children how to do small things with great love for Our Lord.  St. Therese has been the saint I introduce my kindergarten religious education students to first, and over the years I've had many students who have come to really like the little girl who grew up to become a saint.

My usual vehicle for introducing children to St. Therese has been the stories in the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  At the beginning of the school year my present class of kindergarteners learned about St. Therese and they still talk about her and point out the little wooden peg doll statue of her that I keep on our class prayer table.  About two weeks ago I surprised them with another story about St. Therese.  The story I read to them was The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Therese of Lisieux.  It didn't take long for the little girls (all of my students are girls this year) to notice that it was a story about our much loved St. Therese.

The story is filled with gorgeous illustrations that warrant taking your time to look at them after reading the text.  Several times the little girls stopped me from turning the page because they wanted to examine one of the illustrations a bit more.  But not only are the illustrations beautiful, the story is also quite beautiful.

In the context of the story the parable is told to St. Therese by Jesus as she talked with Him about how she wanted to do great things for Him but she was very little.  It's a great story that shows very young children that while they may be small and unable to do to big amazing things for Our Lord, they are no less special to Him.

Overall the story is very well done and certainly has appeal to little girls in the five to six year old range with no questions what-so-ever.   It's a book that I'd suggest for a little girl's Easter basket.  The illustrations are perfect for Easter because they are so Springy.  My four year old, who has St. Therese as one of her patron saints, will find this beautiful story in her basket on Easter morning.  I know she's going to love this story and I can't wait to see her reaction.

I was provided with a review copy of The Little Flower: A Parable of St. Therese of Lisieux by the publisher, Gracewatch Media, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit their website Peanut Butter and Grace for more information on this title.  They also have a lot of great information for teaching your children about their Catholic faith.  The book is also available on Amazon with prime shipping if you're looking for the perfect book to tuck in your child's Easter basket.

Book Review: Little Lessons from St. Therese

St. Therese is one of my favorite saints, and I think she's becoming a favorite with my daughters as well.  I was delighted recently to be asked to review a lovely book filled with the wisdom of St. Therese.  This book is one which is perfect for an Easter basket for someone between the ages of 9 to 12.  Little Lessons from St. Therese of Lisieux is a mix of beautiful water color illustrations and the words of St. Therese.

This book is a great way of introducing an older child to St. Therese.  The beginning of the book gives an overview of who St. Therese was.  It then follows with quotes from St. Therese on a variety of subjects.  What I like most about this book is it lays the ground work to intrigue young minds to get to know St. Therese better.

The illustrations in this book are beautifully done.  They are mostly paintings of gardens and flowers, which is quite befitting a book about the Little Flower.  There are several other illustrations that either depict St. Therese, or scenes that look like those of ones described by either St. Therese or her family members in their writings.  So someone who is familiar with St. Therese will likely find illustrations that remind them of something from the life of the Little Flower.

The end of the book contains a list of discussion questions that are thought provoking.  They're an excellent way to get your child talking with you about faith and how to emulate St. Therese and her Little Way.

I was provided with a review copy of Little Lessons from St. Therese of Lisieux by the publisher, Gracewatch Media, in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about this title by visiting the publisher's site Peanut Butter & Grace.  You can even take a peek inside the book.  The book is also available for purchase from Amazon.