Legend of the Valentine, The (Hardcover)

by Katherine Grace Bond (Author), Don Tate (Author) "Daddy was in jail..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Marcus, a nine-year-old African-American boy living in Alabama at the height of the Civil Rights movement, learns a meaningful lesson about forgiveness through the story of St. Valentine.

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• 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 (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,026,802 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At its core deeply powerful story, January 14, 2002

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

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For thinking readers tired of the trite and the cliche, January 17, 2002

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

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great multi-message book, February 11, 2004

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

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.