Another Gem of a Book
A review of Anthony DeStefano's latest children's book Our Lady's Picture Book
+JMJ+ About a year ago, I wrote a review of Anthony DeStefano's breathtaking children's book Our Lady's Wardrobe. You can read that blog post HERE. I was delighted to find out that Anthony DeStefano wrote a sequel called Our Lady's Picture Book. My family and I are once again in awe of Anthony's work.
While Our Lady's Wardrobe describes the various apparitions of Mary over the course of history and describes the different outfits she has worn at each of her visits, this new book focuses on various devotions to Mary such as Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of the Rosary and the Immaculate Heart of Mary (just to name a few).
In addition to introducing readers to the various works of art depicting the Blessed Mother, Our Lady's Picture Book also teaches readers how Our Lady can help them. Using the sweet, simple prose that readers have come to expect from Anthony's children's books, readers are given practical advice and encouraged to turn to their Heavenly Mother in times of need - when they are searching for peace, when they have sinned, when they are struggling, etc.
On a side note, Anthony DeStefano dedicated his new book to Our Lady of Lourdes and her feast day is this week (Thursday, February 11th). Considering the tumultuous times we are living in, there is no better time to encourage our families and friends to turn to the Blessed Mother!
Even as an adult, I was deeply touched by the beautiful reminders to turn to Our Lady always, even in difficult times. Having been in the midst of quite a bit of chaos and stress since the birth of our fourth child, I desperately needed to be reminded of the heavenly help available to me! I never cease to be amazed by how God can use the simplest, most innocent things to speak to us (such as this book). Our Lady's Picture Book was yet another unexpected glimmer of grace in my family's life.
There truly is no time during which we cannot turn to Mary for her intercession. There is no situation too difficult for her. There is no time when she will not help to bring us closer to her Son. She is our Mother and does not abandon us, the children she loves so much. Never be afraid of asking Our Lady for help!
The illustrations by Juliana Kolesova are, once again, breathtaking. Our Lady's Wardrobe was one of the most beautiful children's books I had ever seen. Our Lady's Picture Book is its equal, and together they make a memorable set that is sure to move the hearts of young and old alike. These are the types of illustrations you could get lost in and, as my 8-year-old daughter pointed out, are just a small taste of the beauty of Heaven. "If Mary looks so beautiful in pictures, just imagine how beautiful she will be in Heaven!"
This book is a beautiful teaching tool for children (and adults!) and will remind readers that they need not ever fear turning to Mary. If you or your children want to get a closer look at your Heavenly Mother, you're going to want to add Our Lady's Picture Book and Our Lady's Wardrobe to your collection!
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.
To order your copy of Our Lady's Picture Book, you can go HERE (non-commissioned link)
Disclaimer: this post is in no way sponsored by Sophia Press. I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest feedback and am simply sharing my thoughts in this blog post.