Saints Alive in Books and Memory

As a Protestant young person, my knowledge of saints amounted to a vague awareness that, depending on context, the term could apply variously to the writers of the gospels, Christians generally, certain historical individuals revered by Catholics, and some distant antecedent to Santa Claus. In recent years, through the influence of personal study and Catholic and Orthodox friends, I have come to appreciate the historical saints, the traditions associated with them, and their examples of love and devotion.

In the introduction to Stories of the Saints, Carey Wallace offers compelling reasons for reading the saints:

They tell us that when people stand up for justice or mercy or love, they may see miracles, but they may find themselves in mortal danger. Or both.

But these stories also tell us that when we take a stand, we are not alone. God, full of love, the power at the heart of the universe, is with us.

… It’s their stubborn hope in something beyond this world that makes saints brave and good. But they don’t just point to things the rest of us can’t see. Led by their faith, they actually bring the better world to be, and invite us all in.” (ix)

If some of the stories below raise questions for you, as some do for me, take it as an opportunity to remember that throughout history—and around the world today—living out faith in Jesus has taken many forms. I am also reminded that all of us, even the saintliest, are flawed but that God is great enough to use us in all our human frailty. 

The entries below include collections like Wallace’s as well as picture books about individual saints. The ever popular Francis of Assisi merits his own list of titles.

Individual Saints

Paul Writes (a letter), by Chris Raschka (2018, Eerdmans, 40pp, ages 6 and up)

If one is permitted multiple (possibly dozens of) favorite books, this is my favorite book about an apostle. Prepared for a dry-ish read, I found myself chuckling audibly at Raschka’s lively paraphrases of Paul’s epistles. In limited words and deliberate images, the author captures Paul’s affection, concern, and fatherly instruction. Each double-page spread is devoted to a single epistle and cites the verses referenced. In addition to pithy imperatives, Raschka references historical individuals and Paul’s missionary journeys.

Readers concerned with strict accuracy may note that Paul is depicted as penning the letters himself (rather than dictating to a scribe), and some may quibble with certain vernacular interpretations (i.e. Paul’s report to the Corinthians that he was “feeling down”). But uppermost is Raschka’s ability to convey essential messages with humor and personality. For example:

“My friends in Thessalonica, Now I hear some of you are busybodies. Please stop that and quietly get back to your own work.

Peace, Paul”

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Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert, by Gary D. Schmidt, ill. David Diaz (Clarion, 2012, 32pp, ages 6–9)

Sixteenth-century Peruvian society had no place for young Martín (1579–1639), the son of an African slave and a Spanish imperialist. From an early age he manifested gifts for healing and growing things. Schmidt relates de Porres’s eventual entry into monastic life, where his humility and tenderness toward all living things endeared him to all who knew or heard about him. Diaz’s vibrant illustrations capture de Porres’s Latin American milieu. The first black saint in the Americas, de Porres is the patron of universal brotherhood, interracial relations, social justice, public education, animal shelters, and people of mixed race. 

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The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, by Kathleen Norris, ill. Tomie de Paola (2001, G.P. Putnam, 40pp, ages 6–9)

An apt author-artist pair, Norris has written broadly for adults about historical Christianity, and many of de Paola’s multitude of children’s books are linked to faith. Here Norris does not gloss over the flaws of Benedict (480–547), founder of the Benedictine order. But in her account Benedict’s stern inclinations are tempered by his devout sister Scholastica (480–543) and the maturing effects of age and experience.

Sixth-century asceticism will likely strike readers as excessive and attempts by fellow clerics to poison Benedict as downright disturbing. Similarly alien are the miracles performed by and for the holy man. But Norris also gives us an endearing depiction, ably illuminated by de Paola’s art, of a brother and sister bound by love for one another and for God. The historical context provided by the author’s afterword lends perspective to Benedict’s eccentricities and highlights the strengths of the Benedictine Rule.

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Across a Dark and Wild Sea, Don Brown (Roaring Press, 2002, 32pp, ages 5–9)

I had heard of St. Columba (or Columcille) (521–597) but knew little about him, except that he had spent the latter part of his life on a rocky island off the coast of Scotland. I was astonished, then, to learn from Brown’s work that Columcille betook himself to Iona after a legal dispute (over a book Columcille had copied) with a fellow monk led to clan warfare and three thousand deaths. Brown infuses this volume with the monk’s love of learning as well as a glimpse into medieval bookcraft. Subdued ink-and-watercolor illustrations suit the time period and help to preserve the memory of this scholar, just as he helped preserve faith and knowledge during the Middle Ages.

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Hildegard of Bingen: Scientist, Composer, Healer and Saint, by Demi (Wisdom Tales, 2019, 40pp, pages 4–8, )

Hildegard (1098–1179) suffered from severe headaches beginning in early childhood. Despite the fact that they never left her altogether, she lived a long life (particularly for the Middle Ages) marked by many accomplishments. In addition to being prioress of her abbey, she recorded her numerous visions, corresponded with influential religious and political leaders, traveled, taught, composed music, and wrote books on nature, medicine, and cooking. Demi’s intricate, conceptual illustrations suit Hildegard’s medieval setting. 

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Saint Clare and Her Cat, by Dessi Jackson, ill. Martina Parnelli (Silver Fire, 2019,  37pp, ages 3–8)

Jackson’s creative take on this acolyte of St. Francis of Assisi introduces a cat companion into the daily life of St. Clare (1194–1253). A frame story of an Italian grandmother traveling with her grandson provides the occasion for the narrative, featuring scenes from the life of the founder of the Poor Clares.

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North Star: St. Herman of Alaska, by Dorrie Papademetriou (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001, 32pp, ages 5–9)

Papademetriou narrates her story through the eyes of an indigenous boy witnessing the remarkable strength, selflessness, and devotion of this Russian Orthodox transplant to North America (1736–1837). Details of history and nature in Alaska add to the immediacy of the narrative.

Seasonal Saints

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas, by Gloria Whelan, ill. Judith Brown (Golden Key Books, 1997, 32pp, ages 7 and up)

Whelan and Brown draw on Russian history as well as Orthodox tradition and Christian faith to present a charming story of a community drawing together to restore a neglected chapel. Sometimes community cohesion can be just as miraculous as the more obviously supernatural.

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Lucia Morning in Sweden, by Ewa Rydåker, ill. Carina Ståhlberg (Nodin Press, 2014, 36pp, ages 4–8)

Having celebrated Santa Lucia Day for many years when our daughter was in elementary and middle school, I was delighted to find this book. Rydåker depicts a contemporary Swedish family’s celebration of the third-century saint, working in such ordinary and relatable elements as sibling rivalry, good gestures gone awry, and immigrant neighbors. Also included are recipes, the history behind the celebration, and patterns for a “star boy” cap and a traditional St. Lucia dress.

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Saint Nicholas the Gift Giver, Saint Patrick the Forgiver, and Saint Valentine the Kindhearted, by Ned Bustard (Intervarsity Press, 2021–2024, 32pp each, ages 3–8)

Each book in this trio tells the story of an individual from church history who has passed into the realm of popular culture. Rhyming text and Bustard’s signature woodcut illustrations make for lively reading. An author’s note in the back of each title elucidates historical fact and encourages readers to consider how they can embody the qualities exemplified by these forerunners in the faith. (For more of Bustard’s art, see Every Moment Holy, by Douglas McKelvey.)

Saints, Generally Speaking

Saint Spotting, or How to Read a Church, Chris Raschka (Eerdmans, 2021, 44p, ages 4–8)

The Protestant churches I grew up in offered scant exposure to historical church architecture. Our Baptist congregations typically downplayed the church building because the church is (indeed) the people, and our stained glass amounted to tinted windows. During a visit to Germany in my early twenties I learned that not only the art but even the layout of traditional churches and cathedrals was imbued with spiritual significance.

Raschka relates how his mother taught him to identify pictures of saints through the symbols associated with their stories, i.e. Saint Francis and his birds, St. Nicholas and bags of gold for the poor. Raschka includes biblical figures like the evangelists, John the Baptist, Martha, Mary, Joseph and, of course, Jesus. For sensitive kids, be aware that a few accounts refer to the saint’s mode of martyrdom.

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Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage, by Carey Wallace, ill. Nick Thornborrow (Workman, 2020, 232pp, ages 7–14)

Thornborrow’s bold strokes and somber palette are appropriate to the subject and style of Wallace’s story craft. Dialogue and intriguing details engage readers; miracles and mysteries are rendered without explanation or apology. Nor does Wallace sidestep the violent ends met by many of the saints. The publisher identifies target age as six to ten; my personal recommendation is seven to fourteen, leaning toward the older end of the range. I could imagine that tweens and teens of a certain disposition, wrestling with mortality and other hard realities, could be both fascinated and inspired by these unflinching examples from the past.

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Our Church Speaks: An Illustrated Devotional of Saints from Every Era and Place, by Ben Lansing and D.J. Marotta (Intervarsity, 2024, 240pp, ages 7 and up)

Anglicans Lansing and Marotta offer a collection of personages in fifty-two readings. Each consists of one or more biographical sketches, an expository reading, and a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. The introduction emphasizes the importance of looking to the humility, service, and sacrifice of great souls who have gone before us, particularly in this age of internet celebrities and Tick-Tock fame.

The selection represents not only traditional saints like Perpetua, Patrick, and Justin, but contemporary servants of the church from around the world, including Chinese martyrs, Sudanese Christians, South Asian missionaries, and even C.S. Lewis. Their examples are both humbling and invigorating. Back matter includes a summary of church history as well as chronological and geographic lists of the saints. On the Our Church Speaks website, readers can access Lansing’s portraits of more than one hundred notable Christians from history and a podcast by Lansing and priest Marotta.

St. Francis of Assisi

The plenitude of books about St. Francis made it impossible to choose one. Below are just a few of many works that honor this memorable man of God.

The Song of Francis and the Animals, by Pat Mora, ill. David Frampton (Eerdmans, 2005, 32pp, ages 4–8)

A creative compilation of interactions between St. Francis and various animals—birds, sheep, insects, and the famed wolf of Gubbio (see below).

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Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, reimaged by Katherin Paterson, ill. Pamela Dalton (Chronicle, 2011, 32pp, ages 4–6)

A lyrical prose rendering of a song by St. Francis with beautiful and gentle illustrations reminiscent of a medieval book of days.

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Saint Francis and the Wolf, by Janet Langton, ill. Ilse Plume (David R. Godine, 2007, 32pp, ages 4–9)

St. Francis tames a wolf that is terrorizing the town of Gubbio. Persian miniatures meet Russian iconography in Plume’s style.

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Brother Juniper, by Dian Gibfried, ill. Meilo So (Clarion, 2007, 32pp, ages 4–7)

The impractical generosity of this simple member of Francis’s order dismays his companions but earns Francis’s affirmation.

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Francis Woke Up Early, by Josephine Nobiso, ill. Maureen Hyde (Gingerbread House, 2011, 32pp, ages 5–9)

An imagined incident from Francis’s childhood, based on the story of the wolf of Gubbio. Decades in the making, Hyde’s illustrations are masterworks of classical art.    Saint Francis of Assisi, Demi (Wisdom Tales, 2012, 32pp, ages 4–8) A straightforward account of Francis’s life, alongside Demi’s intricately crafted scenes, gilt-embedded and framed with floral tracery.