Catholic Picture Books – April

We love celebrating the liturgical year through reading books, an easy and memorable way. We are blessed to have collected many books of various saints; short stories, chapter books and picture books. Sharing our picture book collection for the month of April, which is admittedly rather small, if you know of any others to recommend for this month please share!

16th – St Bernadette 
Bernadette: The Little Girl From Lourdes
One day in Lourdes during winter a beautiful lady, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, appears to an ordinary girl, Bernadette. At the grotto where she appears Bernadette discovers a spring from which flows miraculous healing water.

‘Meaty’ and accurate with lovely watercolour illustrations.This is a long picture book divided into small ‘chapters,’ easily readable in a day. One of the Life of a Saint series which really are the best saints series we have seen for younger children.

23rd – St George 
Saint George and the Dragon – Margaret Hodges 

This is the only St George book we have, a ‘Golden Legend’ adapted from Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene, in which the ‘Red Cross Knight’ slays a dreadful dragon that has been terrorizing the countryside for years, bringing peace and joy back to the land. It’s text is long with beautiful illustrations, well written and interesting but its fairy tale flavour as an introduction for St George is a little disappointing.

This discussion at 4Real suggests more excellent options; The Saint Who Fought the Dragon: The Story of Saint George – Cornelia Mary Bilinsky and Saint George and the Dragon – Jim Forest both look fantastic, with the focus on the saint himself.

Which saints picture books would you recommend for April? 

Related Reading:

Catholic Picture Books – March