There is one book about a song; one about a saint;
one about earth and heaven;
and one about a bee, a girl, and a candle.
Books
In the Candle’s Glow
“The wind took a breath and then gently, oh so gently, let it out again. And as it did, the flowers in the fields swayed softly. And the bee that had just finished sipping the last drop of nectar from one of those flowers flew with the breeze across the field, over the stream, and back to its hive.” In The Candle’s Glow follows the journey of a prayer, beginning with the labors of a bee, to the making of a beeswax candle, and then to a young child’s delight as she lights the candle and fills the flame with her prayers. This journey, from before the prayer is uttered to its ascent heavenward, will similarly delight readers.
The Miracle of the Red Egg
“Mary Magdalene draped her scarf over her hair as she hurried to the door. For months, since Emperor Tiberius had moved to the island of Capri, she’d hoped and prayed she would have a chance to meet with him. Now at last she had an invitation to attend a banquet at his villa. She’d spent the last few days praying that while she was there, she would be able to tell him the good news—the news that Jesus Christ is risen.”
At Pascha, all over the world, Orthodox Christians dye and bless red eggs. This is a story of how this tradition started – back in apostolic times, with St. Mary Magdalene and a miracle that astounded the unbelieving Roman emperor with the reality and power of Christ’s Resurrection.
What Do You Hear, Angel?
Annie’s going for a walk in the woods with her angel. For everything Annie hears in the woods (a frog, a bird, a brook, a breeze) the angel hears a corresponding song of praise in heaven. The author/illustrator team that brought you And Then Nicholas Sang now shows young children that heaven and earth are not so very far apart, after all.
And then Nicholas Sang
Nicholas the Chatterer was an ordinary young boy who loved his home in Constantinople almost as much as he loved to talk. That is, until the day the angels caught him up out of an earthquake and taught him to sing. Then he became Nicholas the Singer. His song saved the city from the earthquakes and entered into the Church’s liturgy for all ages as the Trisagion Hymn. The lyrical text and vivid watercolor illustrations bring fifth-century Byzantium to life, showing children everywhere that they, too, can be used by God.
