The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation [Hardcover]

Katherine Grace Bond (Author), Don Tate (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Marcus, a nine-year-old African-American boy living in Alabama in the sixties, learns the true meaning of valentines as he is faced with whether or not to forgive his classmates and others who have hurt him and his family. His wise grandmother tells him the true story of St. Valentine, who lived out his faith by loving others with the love of Christ and who was persecuted and put to death by the Roman government. An especially tender moment occurs when Marcus’s mother and he receive a handmade valentine from his father, who has been jailed because of his nonviolent protests in support of civil rights.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Marcus, a nine-year-old African-American boy living in Alabama in the sixties, learns the true meaning of valentines as he is faced with whether or not to forgive his classmates and others who have hurt him and his family. His wise grandmother tells him the true story of St. Valentine, who lived out his faith by loving others with the love of Christ and who was persecuted and put to death by the Roman government. An especially tender moment occurs when Marcus’s mother and he receive a handmade valentine from his father, who has been jailed because of his nonviolent protests in support of civil rights.

About the Author

Katherine Grace Bond is a three-time winner of the Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals Award for fiction. She is the author of The Legend of the Valentine picture book. Katherine lives in the Cascade Foothills in Washington with her husband, Andy, and their 4 children.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: ZonderKidz (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310700396
• ISBN-13: 978-0310700395
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #700,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At its core deeply powerful story, January 13, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation (Hardcover)

Engagingly written by Katherine Grace Bond and impressively illustrated by Don Tate, The Legend Of The Valentine: An Inspirational Story Of Love And Reconciliation Is A Thoughtful, Christian picturebook recommended for children ages 4-8. The story is about a young boy, Marcus, whose daddy is in jail and who gets teased by kids at school because his skin is dark, a different color from theirs. Marcus doesn't see much use in celebrating Valentine's Day, until his granny tells him the story of Saint Valentine - a man who was thrown in jail, yet who refused to recant his faith in Jesus Christ. The Legend Of The Valentine is at its core deeply powerful story about loving one's enemies.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For thinking readers tired of the trite and the cliche, January 16, 2002

By 

LingoSlinger "LingoSlinger" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation (Hardcover)

Katherine Grace Bond's talent shines through the deceptively simple prose of this heartfelt, authentic-feeling story. Other reviewers have already posted the general story line. I just want to add that many books in the Christian kids' market drip with saccharine and go for a forced sunny ending; this book is a refreshing exception that will help you open a healthy, substantive, character-building discussion with a pre-teen you love. The combined efforts of a white author and a black illustrator speak convincingly not merely to the issue of race, but also to the core issue of what happens when you love your enemies. A small gem of a book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great multi-message book, February 10, 2004

By 

"maryangelab" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of the Valentine: An Inspirational Story of Love and Reconciliation (Hardcover)

I bought one copy of the board version of the book and loved it. I promptly ordered 10 more copies and several copies of the hardcover book for the children in my church. The hardcover has more text and is even better than the board book. Both books talk about Christ; saint Valentine - who was a Christian who suffered in jail, but blessed and converted his jailers- about the civil rights movement and peaceful resistance, about familiy values and closeness, and EVEN ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH A SCHOOL BULLY. Its main message is that we should not fight evil with evil, but should bless our enemies. At the last page, Marcus, the boy in the story, stretches out his hand and asks the class bully to accept his friendship. It reminded me of Christ's call to humanity to accept Him and his salvation... it's up to each person to accept. I highly recommend the book, either version.