A church is a weighty thing, isn’t it? Its doors are heavy and hard to budge. Its walls are made of stone. And there may be strange or even scary pictures inside. How can a small person make sense of these intimidating places? Two-time Caldecott medalist Chris Raschka shares his mother’s wonderful way of visiting a church: what they would call saint spotting. Each visit to a church becomes an adventure, a trip through the stories that have shaped centuries of faith.
Playful and poignant, this beautifully illustrated book introduces readers to saints and symbols through the warm bond between a mother and son. From bookish Paul to faithful Mary Magdalene, from musical Cecilia to animal-loving Francis, there’s a fascinating saint to discover in every corner.
A church is a weighty thing, isn’t it? Its doors are heavy and hard to budge. Its walls are made of stone. The steps you climb to enter it can make your legs tired. If the ceiling is very high, you might feel very small.
And a church might have pictures of people or things that are scary.
Still, there are many good reasons to visit a church.
One reason is to look at the pictures to find out what the people who made them believed. And the pictures almost always
tell stories.
My mother had a special way to visit a church—it was light, not scary, and even kind of floaty.
Saints are people who are important in the history of the Christian faith.
They always have stories of their own which give you clues to recognize them.
For instance, Saint Anthony was kind and loved reading, so you will see him holding a book or a baby (usually Jesus as a baby) or both.
And Saint Rita had a wound which never healed. She is the saint of suffering. Sometimes people think of her when something has been bothering them for a long time too.
Purchase Saint Spotting at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Indiebound, Eerdmans, or your local bookstore.
A church is a weighty thing, isn’t it? Its doors are heavy and hard to budge. Its walls are made of stone. And there may be strange or even scary pictures inside. How can a small person make sense of these intimidating places? Two-time Caldecott medalist Chris Raschka shares his mother’s wonderful way of visiting a church: what they would call saint spotting. Each visit to a church becomes an adventure, a trip through the stories that have shaped centuries of faith.
Playful and poignant, this beautifully illustrated book introduces readers to saints and symbols through the warm bond between a mother and son. From bookish Paul to faithful Mary Magdalene, from musical Cecilia to animal-loving Francis, there’s a fascinating saint to discover in every corner.
