|
Saint Francis of Assisi
A Life of Joy
By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Illustrated by Dennis Nolan
Hyperion Books for Children, 2005. 38 pages.
Though our knowledge of St. Francis of Assisi consists largely of legends that render the “historical Francis” somewhat remote, the body of stories that has reached us is well worth our attention: fact or legend, the Francis stories are compelling, inspiring, and give us a little taste of what it means to be devoted to God and God’s creation.
Parents, caregivers, and teachers who are interested in sharing Francis’s stories with children would do well to start with Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s portrait of the saint. He says, in an author’s note: “Saint Francis, for whom my father and I were named, was a kind of patron saint for my family.” He claims that now, “Just as when I was a boy, my prayers to Saint Francis are answered.” It is no surprise, then, that Kennedy’s text is loving and reverent. Nor is it surprising that this man who grew up in homes decorated by Franciscan iconography is today an environmental lawyer. Considering the subject and the author together, Saint Francis of Assisi offers a strong picture of how faith and work can come together for the good of the world.
In a small space, Kennedy covers everything: Francis’s pretentious youth as the son of a rich man, his warrior ambitions, his conversion amongst the lepers and his disavowal of his father’s wealth. We meet Clare and the wolf of Gubbio and come away from the book unafraid of the idea of a holy fool.
Dennis Nolan’s illustrations are nature-rich and multifaceted. Each and every picture is deeply fascinating and will capture the attention of young readers. The book comes with a ready-to-frame portrait of Francis surrounded by his beloved birds, inviting young readers to begin their own home-decoration scheme based on the life of Francis.
Saint Francis of Assisi shows that love of God and love of nature go hand in hand, a fact that many Christians seem to have forgotten in favor of business expedience or rapture obsession. The vision of God that the story of Francis can instill is a far better form of Christian education, and there’s no better place to begin than here.
|
