Search Reviews

This beautifully illustrated (in full-color) gem is designed to prepare a child for First Communion and would be appropriate for Kindergarten through second grade. The text follows the Baltimore Catechism, but also includes basic prayers, parts of the Mass and Holy Days of Obligation. In a few places, the explanations given to expand upon the Baltimore Catechism are not as well-written as I'd like them to be, but for the most part they are quite good. For some reason, the text has taken some of the Catechism questions out of order, so that the child learns about sin and its consequences before studying about Our Lord coming to earth to save us. I prefer the original order (which can be done by following the questions in numerical order) so that young children learn about God's love for us before going too deep into the evils of sin and the devil. Many homeschoolers use this as a supplement to other texts (such as the Faith and Life series - partly because the wording of the questions in this text is more succint than the wording in the Faith and Life series) for the purpose of memorizing the Catechism questions and enjoying the pictures.

Saul was a devout Jew so zealous about the Law that he persecuted the followers of the Nazarene with a vengeance. Through God's miraculous intervention Saul discovers that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and longs to proclaim and exhort that which he has formerly persecuted and abhored. There are many obstacles to overcome. The Christians have a difficult time trusting him and are focused on differences with the Jews, whereas Paul is eager to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. As he travels all over the Mediterranean, he is impeded by shipwreck and many who hate him. He fled communities in secret and on at least once occasion barely escaped with his life.

The short chapters are nice for beginning readers and for busy moms trying to read the story aloud a little at a time.

The Saint Search Game is played in the same fashion as Bingo. After picking a saint token from the pile, instead of covering a number on a square, the player crowns the saint with a golden nimbus (token). The player to cover the first row, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, wins. An alternate version for longer play is to cover the whole card. Another method of play not mentioned is to cover just the four corners. The cards use the same 40 saints and symbols found in the Litany game. Since both symbols and names are used on the game cards and tokens, children do not need to be able to read in order to play the game. If an older child or adult is playing, they could read the information from the booklet while the children are covering their saints. Each game comes with 12 playing boards (5” x 6 ½” cards), 40 saint tokens, 200 golden nimbuses and a saint symbol information booklet (This is the same booklet as found in Litany.). For a new fun twist on Bingo that reminds children of the saints, the Saint Search Game is sure to be a hit.

Despite its humble appearance, this biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas is a real gem. The story is told as a real story should be told, full of miracles and detail without becoming preachy, yet it is simple enough for the children it was written to instruct. The rich vocabulary hints at an original copyright in the early 1900s and may be challenging to a young independent reader. You may wish to read this book aloud to the under-8s or beside an 8-9-year-old to be sure of comprehension. The short chapters allow for frequent pauses and discussion of the spiritual truths encountered, and the black-and-white line drawings are tempting to our young colorists. Many of the elegantly written passages are perfectly suited for copywork.

The book begins with an introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas that tells of his unique titles in the Church and his gifts of wisdom and learning. We learn of his childhood and his studies, his captivity and his nickname, the Dumb Ox, and of his beautiful hymns for the feast of Corpus Christi and Benediction. We read about the many miracles and holy favors enjoyed by the Saint and learn from examples of his spiritual gifts of charity, humility, and intelligence. Finally, we hear about his holy death, canonization, and the institution of his feast day. Our young students will be encouraged to pray to this great Doctor of the Church and be inspired to work hard at their studies in imitation of him.