I absolutely ran to search for the Pauline Baynes book and snatched a copy! What a treasure! Thank you as always for the recommendations. You are a queen! My children thank you for their Easter baskets, which will now runneth over!
Maria! This comment brought me so much joy! And that Pauline Baynes book is the kind to keep forever and pass on to one's children's children's children. So beautiful!
Love, love, love this list! It is unfortunate so many of them are out of print, though I know many other books have been brought back into print, so maybe there's hope? I got lucky and found a copy of Petook at a thrift store, though Ignatius Press has since brought it back. And I never knew there was an Emily Dickinson and Tasha Tudor book. Wow!
I do hope they'll all be brought back in to print at some point. If I had a pile a money to burn I would definitely start a reprint publishing business! And yes, everyone references the Tasha Tudor/Robert Louis Stevenson poetry book, but the Dickinson one gets sadly ignored!
😍😍 I could write so many things. On first perusal of this list, I zipped off to my library’s website to find they have a copy of The Kitchen Madonna! 🙌🏻 I also can’t wait to read Rechenka’s Eggs on Easter for the first time.
Oh yeah, it’s gorgeous. The theology in it is definitely Western, if that matters to you. Their Life of Mary collaboration has liturgical prayers from both East and West in it though.
Ooo you know, I must be thinking of another illustrated catechism. There was an Orthdoox one for children? That’s been on my list to check out for awhile—
Just looked it up—The Visual Catechism for Children!
So. many. favorites....where to begin?! But I am now opening so.many.tabs for the ones I don't have or haven't heard of!! ( And thank you for including Wind in the Willows; I think it is the most wonderful children's book that works on so many levels, and I think it has become one of my personal favorites over the years!). I love Inos Biffi's books, so I'm excited to look into the catechism (it's been on my list for years!).
I came to The Wind in the Willows as a teenager and ever since it's colored my imaginings of paradise. I'm due for a reread and this is the time of year to do it! And agreed, the Biffi/Vignazia books are an undersung treasure in the world of religious childrens' books.
This was an absolute delight to read! I recognized so many favorites - stumbling upon your substack feels like meeting a book soul sister! I’ve collected children’s books for years in hopeful anticipation of my future children, most of them purchased before my now 1.5 year old ever existed, and now I find such joy in building her little library. There is something enduring and sacred about the beauty of good children’s literature. I would so love to read more posts like this in the future 🥰
"Book soul sister" I love that! :) My husband bought me the entire Andrew Lang fairy book series when we were dating and I now read them to my kids all these years on--the fruits of the same hopeful anticipation.
A few springtime books that come to mind are Miss Jaster's Garden by N. M. Bodecker (a hedgehog sprouts a garden on his back) and Mossy by Jan Brett (about a turtle...also with a tiny ecosystem on her back). I really enjoyed Rechenka's Eggs and Ruth Sanderson's saint books are just pure delight. Come to think of it, her illustrated version of The Golden Key by George MacDonald has lots of Eastertide themes: wonder, ascension, eternal life, further up and further in.
Totally forgot about Mossy! And I've never heard of Miss Jaster's Garden! I toyed with the idea of putting The Golden Key on there, but you're right--lots of paschal themes! I still need to track down that version illustrated by Ruth Sanderson.
where do I click the Buy The Entire Bundle button????
Haha! If I didn't have a library system with a superb interlibrary loan setup I'd be pouring money out all the time on children's books!
I absolutely ran to search for the Pauline Baynes book and snatched a copy! What a treasure! Thank you as always for the recommendations. You are a queen! My children thank you for their Easter baskets, which will now runneth over!
Maria! This comment brought me so much joy! And that Pauline Baynes book is the kind to keep forever and pass on to one's children's children's children. So beautiful!
Love, love, love this list! It is unfortunate so many of them are out of print, though I know many other books have been brought back into print, so maybe there's hope? I got lucky and found a copy of Petook at a thrift store, though Ignatius Press has since brought it back. And I never knew there was an Emily Dickinson and Tasha Tudor book. Wow!
I do hope they'll all be brought back in to print at some point. If I had a pile a money to burn I would definitely start a reprint publishing business! And yes, everyone references the Tasha Tudor/Robert Louis Stevenson poetry book, but the Dickinson one gets sadly ignored!
What an absolute delight to open Substack and find this! Thank you so much- I will be sharing widely!
I'm glad you suggested it! It was so fun to put together!!
😍😍 I could write so many things. On first perusal of this list, I zipped off to my library’s website to find they have a copy of The Kitchen Madonna! 🙌🏻 I also can’t wait to read Rechenka’s Eggs on Easter for the first time.
I know you'll love The Kitchen Madonna and Rechenka's Eggs! They are both balm for the soul!
Can’t wait! 🥰
I love all of these recommendations! So many gems to discover, thank you!
Always happy to pass along my favorite finds to others :)
Love this list and several have appeared in our Pascha baskets in past years. I’ve had my eye on the Illustrated Catechism for awhile now too.
Oh yeah, it’s gorgeous. The theology in it is definitely Western, if that matters to you. Their Life of Mary collaboration has liturgical prayers from both East and West in it though.
Ooo you know, I must be thinking of another illustrated catechism. There was an Orthdoox one for children? That’s been on my list to check out for awhile—
Just looked it up—The Visual Catechism for Children!
Thank you for this list! I’d never heard of Petook and I’m so excited to include it in my son’s basket.
Oh I'm so glad!
Bookmarking this list forever 😍 thank you so much!
You're so welcome! :)
So. many. favorites....where to begin?! But I am now opening so.many.tabs for the ones I don't have or haven't heard of!! ( And thank you for including Wind in the Willows; I think it is the most wonderful children's book that works on so many levels, and I think it has become one of my personal favorites over the years!). I love Inos Biffi's books, so I'm excited to look into the catechism (it's been on my list for years!).
I came to The Wind in the Willows as a teenager and ever since it's colored my imaginings of paradise. I'm due for a reread and this is the time of year to do it! And agreed, the Biffi/Vignazia books are an undersung treasure in the world of religious childrens' books.
Beautiful recommendations 🤍 thank you!
You're so welcome! :)
This was an absolute delight to read! I recognized so many favorites - stumbling upon your substack feels like meeting a book soul sister! I’ve collected children’s books for years in hopeful anticipation of my future children, most of them purchased before my now 1.5 year old ever existed, and now I find such joy in building her little library. There is something enduring and sacred about the beauty of good children’s literature. I would so love to read more posts like this in the future 🥰
"Book soul sister" I love that! :) My husband bought me the entire Andrew Lang fairy book series when we were dating and I now read them to my kids all these years on--the fruits of the same hopeful anticipation.
This is perfection! A wonderful list, thank you!
Ah Melody, I feel like you probably have some splendid springtime picture books up your sleeve that I don't know about! :)
A few springtime books that come to mind are Miss Jaster's Garden by N. M. Bodecker (a hedgehog sprouts a garden on his back) and Mossy by Jan Brett (about a turtle...also with a tiny ecosystem on her back). I really enjoyed Rechenka's Eggs and Ruth Sanderson's saint books are just pure delight. Come to think of it, her illustrated version of The Golden Key by George MacDonald has lots of Eastertide themes: wonder, ascension, eternal life, further up and further in.
Totally forgot about Mossy! And I've never heard of Miss Jaster's Garden! I toyed with the idea of putting The Golden Key on there, but you're right--lots of paschal themes! I still need to track down that version illustrated by Ruth Sanderson.