Every Child a Light: The Pope's Message to Young People [Hardcover]

Pope John Paul II (Author), Jerome M. Vereb (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-Color photographs show Pope John Paul II interacting lovingly with infants and young children. The warmth and sincerity of his feeling toward them are obvious, and he allows them to respond with their own enthusiastic embraces. Each full-page, well-reproduced picture is attractively framed and faces a quotation directed to children or their caregivers from messages the Pope has given during his travels throughout the world in the '80s and '90s. His emphasis is on the love and peace of God and Jesus; the importance of family, prayer, friendship, and moral behavior; the value of the Church; and the beauty of childhood. Surprisingly, since the Roman Catholic faith is worldwide, only 2 photos of the 18 show children of color. Parochial schools and Roman Catholic churches and families would be the most appreciative audience for this book. Text and photographs are from L'Osservatore Romano.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Pope John Paul II's affinity for young people is well known. Here, Father Vereb has taken snippets from the pope's messages to children and teens and matched them with very appealing full-color photos: the pope holding, patting, and kissing babies and toddlers, and having a laugh or celebrating with older kids. The format is always accessible. The pages are bright white, and the text is given line by line, so it doesn't look intimidating. Despite all that, it's difficult to say if kids will pick up this book for themselves. Even though the excerpts are short, they are not always kid friendly: "It is above all in raising children that the family fulfills its mission to proclaim the gospel of life." Some of the pieces, however, are right at a child's level: "The pope has a great love for children! I want to see you grow up happy." An afterword tells readers more about Pope John Paul II and his philosophy concerning children. Libraries with Catholic populations will probably want this on hand. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760759537
• ISBN-13: 978-0760759530
• ASIN: 1563970902
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Paul II Every Child A Light, October 9, 2002

By 

"peteydink" (Bluffton, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Every Child a Light: The Pope's Message to Young People (Hardcover)

Not only did the photographs in this magnificent production touch the heart, but the words of the Holy Father are emblazoned in our minds for all to see for years to come. His holiness shows his tenderness and love of children in the words and pictures, revealing his compassion, humor, and child-like love.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful photography elevates this book, August 29, 2002

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Every Child a Light: The Pope's Message to Young People (Hardcover)

"Every Child a Light: The Pope's Message to Young People" combines excellent full-color photographs with excerpts from the discourses of Pope John Paul II. The book is edited by Jerome M. Vereb. This book is full of visual appeal. The photographs, which show John Paul interacting with children of various ages, are crisp and full of life. The Pope is effectively depicted as a caring and joyful man.

The book is beautifully designed. The Pope's word's are arranged as poetry on the pages; this nicely complements the photos. The text is drawn from the Pope's global ministry.

The content of the words themselves is often rather bland and vague. Controversial topics are generally avoided. Sometimes the messages are a bit mixed. In one excerpt, for example, the Pope seems to be taking a multifaith tone, praising children for offering each other "a hand / with no regard for color, / social condition, or religion." Elsewhere he seems more theologically exclusive. For example, he claims that "a generous 'yes' to Christian faith / is the purest sense of the fullness of life"--a statement which I'm sure those of other faiths would dispute!

Still, many of the statements are relevant and inspirational to young people of any faith or culture. He tells young people, "The future belongs to you; / for you are the leaders of tomorrow" and challenges them to be "men and women of high principles / and hopes." But the book as a whole is, in my judgment, mainly relevant for Catholic children and adults.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Child a Light by Pope John Paul II, May 22, 2005

By 

Joseph S. Maresca "Dr. Joseph S. Maresca CPA,... (Bronxville, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Every Child a Light: The Pope's Message to Young People (Hardcover)

This book has many memorable pictures of Pope John Paul II with
children of many nationalities and backgrounds. The photography
is in spectacular color. There are memorable sayings by the Pontiff; namely, "Young people are the hope for the future."
The photography shows the Pontiff mixing with the crowds at a time
when he still had considerable mobility and good health. The work
will appeal to a wide constituency of followers throughout the
world. The pictures alone are worth the price of the volume.