Review--Can You Find Saints?

My kids are big fans of the I Spy books, where you search for items that are hidden in the pictures.  My oldest also loved Where's Waldo, and we have a few of those laying around on the bookshelves, too.

Along both those lines is the book Can You Find Saints? Introducing Your Child to Holy Men and Women written by Philip Galery, illustrated by Janet Harlow, and published by St. Anthony Messenger Press.

This hardback book of about 40 pages has large 2-page spread illustrations and a panel of text that tells about a Saint or group of Saints.  The text is at an intermediate reading level, but could be read aloud to younger ones.  Along with each paragraph of text are little images of Saints that children are challenged to search for and find in the large, busy image (like in Where's Waldo).  There are 13 searches in the book, including the themes of Mary, Saints Who Were Popes, Saints who Founded Orders of Nuns, Saints From the Bible, and seven more.  Each theme has a different background, ranging from inside a Cathedral to a grassy field. The artwork is well done, colorful, and engaging--neither too simplistic or complex

In addition to searching for the Saints (which vary scene to scene), there are 10 images that are found in each and every one of the 13 scenes, adding an extra element of challenge.

At the end of the book is a parent guide that offers suggestions for each of the searches--ideas, ideals and values to reinforce, questions to discuss, and more background info about the saints that you can discuss with your children.

This is followed by a 3-page glossary with definitions to words/terms children may or may not have heard before, such as Virtue, Doctor of the Church, and Hermit.

I  love the idea of this book!  Kids lean about the Saints of the Church in a very fun, interactive way--preschoolers through tweens will all enjoy the book, and can learn something from it at their own level.   This book does not provide in-depth information into the lives of the Saints, nor is it intended to, but it is a fun, novel way to be introduced (as the title states) to the Saints.

Other search and find titles available from St. Anthony Messenger Press include: Can You Find the Followers of Jesus: Introducing Your Child to Disciples
and Can You Find Jesus: Introducing Your Child to The similar Gospel