Saint Francis Sings to Brother Sun: A Celebration of His Kinship with Nature [Hardcover]

Karen Pandell (Adapter), Bijou Le Tord (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

From Karen Pandell and Bijou Le Tord comes an ode to Saint Francis's connection with nature that transcends culture and faith — an inspiration for all time and all people.

Sing praises to all Your creatures,
And above all to Brother Sun,
Who gives us the day as He enlightens us.
-From Saint Francis's "The Canticle of Brother Sun"

More than eight hundred years ago, a once-privileged young man cast off his worldly possessions to live an austere life amid nature, where his gentleness and compassionate words drew even wild creatures to his feet. The now-legendary Saint Francis of Assisi receives a fitting tribute in this elegant, inviting volume, in which stanzas of the "Canticle of Brother Sun" are interwoven with nature tales about the man who composed this sacred song and followed by an author's note, biography, bibliography, and source notes. Illustrated by Bijou Le Tord in delicate, graceful charcoal drawings highlighted with gold, reflecting both the saint's simplicity and his joyous spirit, this beautiful compilation by Karen Pandell makes it clear that the songs and stories of Saint Francis are indeed the heritage of every child.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up–The book opens with an authors note giving background about Saint Franciss poem The Canticle of Brother Sun, followed by a summary of the mans life. This six-page section seems to be aimed more at adults than children. The rest of the book consists of brief vignettes from the saints life, accompanied by an illustration. The author has used medieval biographies as sources and retold the stories in accessible language for modern readers. Verses from the poem introduce each section and the entire poem is reproduced at the end of the book. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s Saint Francis of Assisi (Hyperion, 2005), illustrated by Dennis Nolan, is a straightforward picture-book biography and Richard Egielskis Saint Francis and the Wolf (HarperCollins, 2005). focuses on one episode from the mans life. Pandell concentrates more on Franciss spiritual nature–how he would preach to birds or talk to a cicada or a hare; how he would praise the wind, water, fire, and earth. The book is beautifully designed. Unifying elements appear throughout, such as a repeated pattern of colored tiles, the verses of The Canticle reproduced in gold superimposed on a medieval-style shield background, and Le Tords gold-embellished, primitive-style paintings. This title would not be the best choice to introduce young children to the life of Saint Francis, but for those who have some knowledge of him, its is a lovely testament to his spirit.–Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christophers School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Known for titles for preschoolers, such as Animal Action ABC (1996), Pandell reaches for an older audience in this elegant tribute to Saint Francis. Excerpts from "The Canticle of Brother Sun" introduce brief stories demonstrating Saint Francis' extraordinary relationship with nature. Included are famous tales, such as "Saint Francis and the Wolf," as well as many lesser-known stories. Pandell went directly to medieval texts for her source material, and the resulting selections, while accessible, are also sophisticated and may be best appreciated when they are shared with an adult reader. Children may also need some help puzzling out the shapes in Le Tord's mixed-media illustrations, which include stylized, charcoal-colored images brushed with gold. But the stories, many about animals, will pique children's curiosity about the saint and his message of peace and tolerance, reinforced with lines from his own writing. A substantive biography, notes about the Feast of Saint Francis, the full text of the canticle, and sources notes conclude. For younger children, suggest Richard Egielski's Saint Francis and the Wolf (2005). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First Edition edition (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763615633
• ISBN-13: 978-0763615635
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,256,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enlightening for all ages, February 27, 2008

By 

Layne (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saint Francis Sings to Brother Sun: A Celebration of His Kinship with Nature (Hardcover)

I was not sure if my kids would be able to appreciate this book but the format (excerpts from the Canticle of the Sun interspersed with tales from Saint Francis's life that related to his poetry and gorgeous paintings) was so beautiful that I couldn't resist it. We all took turns reading aloud from it on the way home and it turned out that with a little help on pronunciation, my third grader was able to read all of the stories and even my kindergartener was able to understand their meanings. The kids had been underwhelmed by the prospect of yet another saint book but as the kindergartener exclaimed 'it's not even boring!' and none of us wanted to put it down. Even very young children can relate to Saint Francis's deep love for God's handiwork in nature so this book is a wonderful way to teach about environmental responsibility without lecturing.

4.0 out of 5 stars Animals and nature, October 25, 2007

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Saint Francis Sings to Brother Sun: A Celebration of His Kinship with Nature (Hardcover)

The School Library Journal does a very nice job of reviewing this book and I would concur with all their observations about this book. I found the book entertaining but as a children's book a little dry. The illustrations don't really do justice to the beautiful subject matter. Based on a book written by St. Francis entitled "The Canticle of Brother Sun," this book presents short reflections from passages of the book. For further reading on the aforementioned book by St. Francis seeSt. Francis, Poet of Creation: The Story of the Canticle of Brother Sun. One of the more interesting stories attributed to St. Francis is the Miracle of Brother Wolf. It is about a wolf who terrorized a town until confronted by St. Francis. The wolf later was a natural, regular sight around town who did not harm anyone and was fed by the people; it is said that dogs did not even bark at Brother Wolf. This and many more stories are in this book. St. Francis, besides being known for his afection of all animals is the Patron Saint of Ecology as designated by Pope John Paul II in 1979. St. Francis feast day is October 4th and many places all over the world celebrate this special day. A blessing of the animals ceremony, where long processions of animals are paraded to churches to receive a blessing in honor of St. Francis is done annually. Thus his special kinship with animals is recalled every year. The lessons of St. Francis hold true for the modern world, especially in these times of ecological decay. This book is recommended as a supplement to teaching a young person, middle school age or younger, about the virtues of St. Francis. This would make a nice addition to a personal, community or Catholic middle school library. This book requires lots of adult help for children.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully illustrated, March 19, 2006

By 

Miranda Rand (Schenectady, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saint Francis Sings to Brother Sun: A Celebration of His Kinship with Nature (Hardcover)

The lovely illustrations make this a must-have book, not to be left lying around on the coffee table but to be treasured, pored over and shared with young and old alike.