Three books to carry the spirit of Easter through the full 50 days of the season: The Narrow Gate; The Snail and the King; and The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure

Reviewed by Katie Bogner

As we carry on through the 50 days of the Easter season, books are a great way to share the story of Jesus’ resurrection with kids, and books can also be a tool to continue teaching them about the lasting impact of Easter on each of our lives. Here are three books that can help carry the light of the resurrection throughout the whole year!

The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure, written by Gracie Jagla, illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz, from OSV Kids

“The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure” illustrates the “vibrant . . . movement of the Holy Spirit through the apostles, martyrs, popes, and saints,” as reviewer Katie Bogner describes it.

The Holy Spirit shines when we celebrate Pentecost at the end of the Easter season, but how can we help kids come to see the work of the Spirit everywhere?

In every age and around the world, the Holy Spirit has led the people of God. This vibrant picture book shows the movement of the Holy Spirit through the apostles, martyrs, popes, and saints. It also teaches that each of us can find the Holy Spirit working through the gift of the sacraments and by meeting us in our daily prayer.

With its charming rhyming text and solid (but pint-sized) catechesis, I’ve seen no book better explain the third person of the Blessed Trinity at the level of a young child! The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure is sure to set a fire in little Catholics.

The Snail and the King, written and illustrated by Fr. Peregrine Fletcher, O. Praem., from Joannes Press

This original parable, written and illustrated by a priest of the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, begins with a trinitarian set of characters. The King of a great land sends His Son, the Prince, into the wild with the King’s dove to give a message of hope. The animals there have experienced fear, plague, and death, but the Prince promises to take them to a land where they will know only peace. All the animals, great and small, must make their own way to the ship which will sail for the King’s land in three days.

Some of the animals rely on their own strength and refuse to leave the land. But the tiny and humble snail, with the help and protection of the King’s dove, travels determinedly to the ship. Welcomed by the King, the snail finds that he is a beloved member of the kingdom. Children will find parallels to the saving mission of Jesus, sent by God the Father, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A perfect reminder of the Easter story, The Snail and the King also expands into the choice between vice and virtue we encounter on our journey to h1eaven.

The Narrow Gate, written by Rachel Schluenderfritz, illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz, from Emmaus Road Publishing

Of “The Narrow Gate,” Bogner writes, “The townspeople in this story have everything…except one important thing.”

The townspeople in this story have everything…except one important thing. Their houses are filled to the brim with clothes and toys and delicacies, but this desert town doesn’t have its own water. One day, rather than haul the water to the town they decide to move the town to the water. They set out across the desert with all their belongings, heading for an oasis.

On the journey they are visited by a stranger who tells them that while a wall has been built around the oasis, the landowner has left a way in. They arrive and find the entry is so narrow that they are only able to enter if they abandon the belongings that have become so important to them. Half refuse and leave to find another path. The other half enter through the narrow way and find themselves in a lovely oasis. The stranger welcomes them, and then leaves to go after the group now wandering in the desert.

WHIMSICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

This book is simple enough for children to understand how attachment to worldly things can hurt our relationship with God. The whimsical illustrations, which include camels pulling the town across the desert on wheels, will spark imaginations to consider the other silly things that we sometimes place too much importance in.

The story encourages us to ponder a God who loves us enough to both make a way for us to enter into the Kingdom and also pursues us to make the path clear. The Narrow Gate includes discussion questions for both kids and adults, as well as an author’s note with Scripture passages for consideration and prayer.

Katie Bogner’s new book, “We Have A Pope” was recently reviewed by The Catholic Post Online. She has also authored, “Through the Year with Jesus” and “Through the Year with Mary.”  

Katie is a junior high faith formation teacher at St. Philomena School in Peoria and a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Lacon. Her blog can be found at LookToHimAndBeRadiant.com. The site features free lesson plans and other resources for teaching the faith.