Book Review: "Audrey Bunny" by Angie Smith

 
Audrey is a stuffed bunny who is concerned that she won't be picked by anyone because of a mark she has over her heart.  Even after Caroline picks her and then  treasures her, she tries to hide the mark, fearing that Caroline won't love her anymore if she sees it.   

Audrey continues to hide it until Caroline brings her to school for show-and-tell.  After everyone sees the mark, Caroline tells Audrey that the spot is the very reason she chose Audrey, and how much she loves her.  

A very simple story with an important message about loving people as they are.     

The illustrations are very well done and convey the story very effectively.

 

http://amzn.to/1bmlKel

A review of 'The Christmas Cat' by Maryann Macdonald

Just on time for the season of Advent comes a new picture book that Christian parents will not want to miss.  The Christmas Cat by Maryann Macdonald is an original story, beautifully illustrated by Amy Jane Bates, that the entire family will enjoy and want to pass on to the next generation.

The author was inspired by one of a series of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, who drew many illustrations of a young child Jesus holding and playing with a cat.  Dated between 1480 and 1481, this series is known as Madonna del Gatto, or the Madonna of the Cat.  There is also a legend about a cat who purred Jesus to sleep in the stable in Bethlehem the night he was born.  Macdonald wondered if this cat could have become Jesus’ special pet and, if so, what their relationship might have been like.

The book cover shows a kitten licking the hand of a contently smiling Baby Jesus, the evening light coming through the stable window and casting a golden glow on the hay.  On the first page is a panorama of shepherds on a twilight hill, overlooking the city of Bethlehem, which is bathed in a heavenly light.  The title page depicts the Holy Family holding Baby Jesus, with stable animals looking on.  Then we are introduced to a crying Baby Jesus.  His family and the animals are unable to soothe him.  Then a kitten enters the stable, nuzzles Baby Jesus, and gently purrs him to sleep.

Baby Jesus grows into a young child, and he and his Mother Mary are portrayed playing with the cat, who has now become his pet.  When the Holy Family flees from Herod, they fear they have left the cat behind.  Just as the Child Jesus becomes upset, the cat comes out from hiding and comforts him.  The book closes with a painting of Mary, an older Child Jesus, and the cat, cuddling contentedly.  Next to the author’s endnote is a print of da Vinci’s drawing, which is similarly composed.

The story is told in a beautiful narrative style, which adults will enjoy reading aloud.  It is clear, descriptive, and does not ‘talk down’ to children.  I read this book with my seven-year-old daughter, who was delighted by the pictures and story.  I asked my sixteen-year-old daughter, a fine arts student, to critique the artwork; she admired the “loose” style of the paintings.  The artwork is soft, playful, and appealing to children.  The skillful use of light illuminates the focus of each painting.   

I loved the story and have found myself thinking about its thesis.  Although the Bible does not mention “pets” per se, it does speak of dogs being under tables in houses, eating the scraps that fall.  We know that domesticated cats were around from the time of the Egyptians – so it is possible that a stray cat could have befriended the Child Jesus.  The book comes at a perfect time, with Pope Francis bringing worldwide attention to the humble Saint Francis of Assisi, who had such a special relationship with animals.  Pope John Paul II once said, "Also the animals possess a soul, and men must love and feel solidarity with our smaller brethren." 

We think of pets as being there to comfort us, and any family with children and a dog or cat knows how animals instinctively cuddle up to them whenever they are upset.  The simple but intriguing idea that Jesus could have had a pet makes him seem more human, and thus more relatable to children.  As his humanity was God the Father’s gift to us that we celebrate on Christmas, this book presents the perfect opportunity for children and their parents to think about what Jesus could have been like when he was a child.  He cried, he got hungry, and he played – just like them – thus he can understand them and be their special friend.

Maryanna Macdonald, who grew up with seven brothers and sisters, shows that she really understands children, and is able to write at a level appropriate for their stage.  I also reviewed her young adult novel Odette’s Secret, which presents a child’s view of the holocaust.  I believe I have discovered a great writer and look forward to seeing more from her.

Published by Dial Books for Young Readers October 2013 U.S. $16.99/Canada $18.00

For publishing information see the author’s website at www.maryannmacdonald.com

For my review of Odette’s Secret see: http://www.examiner.com/review/young-adult-historical-novel-brings-holocaust-to-life-through-the-eyes-of-a-chil

Book Review: "Saint" by Lino Rulli

I enjoy Lino on his show "The Catholic Guy", so I admit I had certain expectations for his new book "Saint". It is humorous, but I wouldn't call it a comedy, because Lino uses a tongue-in-cheek approach while making a  true, valid point, that we can all be saints,  and in fact we are called to be saints, despite being sinners.  

Another technique Lino uses regularly is self-depreciating humor.

  A favorite quote that sums up  his message:

  " I can't help but wonder if public declarations of my sinfulness - especially those cried out within a stone's throw of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints - aren't hurting my cause for canonization.  I hope to undo the damage with this book.  In it, I'm making a formal pitch that people stop seeing me solely as a sinner, but also as a saint"  

My expectations were not only met, but exceeded.  Don't miss this opportunity for an enjoyable and entertaining reading experience!

 

http://www.linorulli.com/saint/

Book Review: "Rufus and Ryan Go to Church" by Kathleen Long Bostrom

 
Ryan is a little boy who likes to take his monkey Rufus everywhere with him.  This story is about going to Church. For a short children's story, it certainly hits the important points:

• How to dress for Church
• How to behave in Church
• What we do in Church
• How the Church is a community

An entertaining and informative book for small children 

 

http://www.idealsbooks.com/

Book Review: Small Steps for Catholic Moms

Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray,and Act

by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2013

The hugely successful Small Steps for Catholic Moms: Your Daily Call to Think, Pray, and Act by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss was originally published in 2010, but fell victim to a publisher closure and went out of print. Ave Maria Press has re-released this popular book as part of the CatholicMom.com series of books. 

It is an understatement to say that Danielle Bean, editor of Catholic Digest and host of The Gist as well as mother of eight children, and Elizabeth Foss, award-winning writer and mother of nine, know what it means to be busy moms. The duo has put together a devotional to help mothers easily work prayer into a hectic life. 

Small Steps for Catholic Moms offers an entry for each day, but Bean and Foss are adamant that there is no one “right way” to use this book. One may follow along day by day or pick it up when the need for inspiration arises and study a few pages. Each month is dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, such as joy, simplicity, courage, humility, and peace. Each day features something to think about, pray about, and act on. Quotes from scripture and the saints offer the day’s food for thought. The prayers are simple, yet profound, and the actions are practical ways to live out one’s faith. 

Any Catholic mother searching for a quick spiritual pick-me-up will find great value in the pages of Small Steps for Catholic Moms.

Book Review: Sisterhood of Saints

Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration
by Melanie Rigney
Cincinatti, OH: Franciscan Media, 2013

Are you in need of some daily inspiration? Do you love to learn about the saints? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then Sisterhood of Saints by Melanie Rigney (Franciscan Media, 2013) is a book you will want to keep close by. 

Rigney writes that researching all these women changed her life. She marvels at the similarities and differences in this select group of holy women. “They weren’t perfect. . . Sometimes they hurt people, badly. They were outcasts sometimes as well. . . They helped people who had given up on themselves, people who had never heard of God or had little use for him if they had. . . Some of them were really ordinary. . . [Others] crossed battle lines or offered up their lives in wartime. . . Others died safely in their beds. In short, they are women just like you and me.”

For each day of the year, Rigney offers a short biography of the featured saint, a quote of inspiration from either the Scriptures or the saint, and a challenge to help you live your spiritual life more deeply.

Rigney has highlighted the big-name women saints. Those looking for Mary, Therese, Elizabeth, Brigid, Catherine, Kateri, etcetera will not be disappointed, but one is especially impressed by the number of lesser-known saints who are featured in these pages. The reader will have the opportunity to make many new heavenly friends, such as Rita Amada de Jesus, Anna Wang, Giuseppina Gabriella Bonino, and Celine Borzecka. There is a saint in heaven for every woman to relate to and seek help from.

The Sisterhood of Saints would make a wonderful gift for the Catholic women in your life. It is also a wonderful resource for oneself, to deepen one’s faith and learn more about the communion of saints.

Music Review: "Mater Eucharistiae" by Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist

After the beautiful "Angels and Saints at Ephesus", I couldn't wait to review "Mater Eucharistiae"... and it certainly lives up to the quality and beauty of the Sisters' earlier CD's.

  The hymns truly epitomize the CD title...they focus on Mary and/or the Eucharist.  They bring the listener closer to the Lord.  

Most of it is in Latin, and there are a couple of English hymns.  

Their singing is as beautiful as ever, but this CD stands out for me...it is the most prayer-like of their CD's, yet it delivers the crystal-like quality we've come to expect from the Sisters.  

Many of the hymns were either new or unfamiliar,  but there were a couple of classics like "Te Deum", "Adoro Te" and "Salve Regina".

A beautiful CD!

 

Movie Review: Paranoia - PG13

Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman are two billionaires at war  in the tech industry.

 Iam Hemsworth is Adam Cassidy, who gets caught in the middle of their feud. At first, Adam thinks he has come upon a great opportunity, but he soon finds that he is simply a pawn in their feud.  

There are  a few well-known names such as Ford, Oldman and Richard Dreyfus.  

The story is well written, with a few twists to keep you guessing.  

Adam has to make several choices along the way about loyalty and priorities.  

A real thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat  

Content warning: 1 brief bed scene (no nudity)  
 

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/paranoia-2013/

Book Review: Strange Gods

The First Commandment is probably the one of the ten that we worry about the least. “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.” After all, most of us haven’t spent time worshipping any of the Roman or Egyptian gods recently or paid homage to any pagan spirits. In Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life, Elizabeth Scalia, also known by her internet moniker “The Anchoress,” invites us to take a closer look at this long-neglected commandment and discover the ways we practicing Christians violate it on a daily basis. 

Scalia asks, “Do we stop to think of what it means to have something ‘before God?’ It means to put something ‘first,’ yes, but more fundamentally, it means to put something ‘in front’ of God . . . What is before God, then, is also before us; it stands between God and us; it separates us from him.”

We humans are rather self-interested creatures. We want to be noticed, to be “loved and valued.” We often want the world to revolve around us. In establishing the Ten Commandments, God understood our weakness. He provides the commandments to keep us in right relationship with both Him and others. He “gives commandments meant to save us from ourselves.”

Scalia makes the case that the First Commandment, “if obeyed, renders all of the others quite nearly moot . . . Look at me [God}, and let me love you, and you will have no need of the rest.” Scalia then explores the various idols in our everyday life. These include ourselves, ideas, prosperity, technology, coolness and sex, plans, and the causes we feel passionate about. We can even give in to idolatry when we become too focused on the one “correct” way to do liturgy or pray. In short, “nothing human is exempt from becoming an idol we will place before God.” We must always be vigilant. 

A mere human like the rest of us, Scalia is the first to acknowledge that she suffers from idolatry as much as anyone. With a profound sense of irony, she shares how even the writing of this particular book became an idol. 

After reading Strange Gods, one will never be able to look at the First Commandment in the same way. Scalia has written a thought-provoking tome that should be read by every Christian seeking to follow God’s laws.

Movie Review: The Wolverine - PG13

The Wolverine heads to Japan to say his goodbyes to an old friend who is very ill.  

Not only does the Wolverine have to battle several enemies while in Japan, but he is put at a disadvantage while doing so.

 One theme that is woven throughout the story is the issue of mortality and immortality.  

Hugh Jackman is very good in the role of the Wolverine.

  There is lots of action, and the story is well-written.  I enjoyed the dialogue,  and the way the  characters interact.

  There are a couple of excellent twists at the end that keep the story intriguing.

  Content warnings are violence, some gore and a 'morning after' type scene  (no nudity or sex scenes).

See it...you'll enjoy it.
 

http://www.thewolverinemovie.com/