Review of “Girl Saints for Little Ones”

If you are looking for a simple, beautiful introduction to popular female saints, check out Kimberly Fries’ Girl Saints for Little Ones and Girl Saints for Little Ones Volume 2!

Each volume features a dozen saints, mostly well-known heroines of our faith like Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Kateri, Saint Agnes, and Saint Gianna. These books do not include dates or feast days, instead focusing on details about the saints’ lives that little ones are more likely to grasp and retain, such as family relationships, feeding the poor, and miracles. This makes these books great for a cursory introduction, but if you are looking for more in-depth information about the saints, consider the Life of a Saint series from Ignatius,or other saint biographies featured inMy Book Lists.

Each saint page concludes with an inspiring quote from each saint about following Jesus and living a strongly Christian life. For example, the quote from St. Claire of Assisi is: “Totally love Him, who gave Himself totally for your love.”

What makes these books shine are the beautiful original paintings for each saint which will capture the attention of young children. Each painting contains a special symbol the child can associate with the saint. Some symbols are the traditional ones, such as the lamb of Saint Agnes. Others are original, such as green seeds to show the seeds of faith Saint Kateri sowed in the New World.

There is also a brother book, Boy Saints for Little Ones. This book features a dozen inspiring male saints such as Saint Augustine, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Saint Patrick.

Overall, these books make a worthwhile addition to any Catholic family’s library. For more great Catholic books about the saints, the Blessed Mother, and more, check out my list Good Catholic Books for Catholic Preschoolers and Kindergartners !

Review of “The Saints Chronicles, Collection 1”

Saints Chronicles Collection 1 by Sophia Institute Press

A 2018 offering from reputable Sophia Institute Press, Saints Chronicles Collection 1 is obviously an attempt to make the stories of saints from ancient and modern times compelling to today’s tweens and teens, who often prefer graphic novels and comic books to traditional chapter books. This is the first volume of four collections that Sophia is publishing, all similar comic book style volumes of about 120 pages. Each collection contains the stories of about five saints. This first collection tells the stories of Saint Patrick, Saint Jerome Emiliani, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Henry Morse, and Saint Joan of Arc. Saints Chronicles Collection 2 relates the stories of Saint Nicholas, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Brigid of Ireland, Saint Pachomius, and Saint Anne Line.

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These collections are visually arresting and fast-paced. I appreciated the focus question at the beginning of each story which hints at the theme to carry away. Though the stories themselves are not heavy on details, each one concludes with a one page summary of the life of the saint with important dates and life events in a timeline format.

The selection of saints is a thoughtful blend of the well known Saint Patrick and Saint Francis of Assisi combined with the unknown Saint Henry Morse and Saint Anne Line. I do wish the publisher had picked a few saints from more recent times like Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto or Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Maybe in a later collection.

This collection is appropriate for children as young as 7 or 8 in most regards, though if you have a sensitive child be forewarned. The saints are often in mortal danger or actually die in the course of the story. However, the pictures are not gory or gratuitously violent at all. For example, Saint Henry Morse is last shown at the gallows about to be hung, but not after he is hung. Saint Joan of Arc is not shown burning at the stake; the book simply says she was.

I am not personally a huge fan of the comic book style, but I know it is very popular these days! Overall, I think most people, especially tweens and teens, will find Saints Chronicles Collection 1 to be an enjoyable, informative comic book. I imagine this volume and its sequels will capture the imaginations of many children who might otherwise find the lives of the saints dull and dreary.

I will be adding this collection to my book lists Good Catholic Books for Catholic Teens and Good Books for Catholic 12 to 13 Year Olds.

Update: Sophia has published several more in this excellent series that my kids have enjoyed. I recommend buying them directly from Sophia Institute Press.

Saints Chronicles Collection 2 by Sophia Institute Press
Saints Chronicles Collection 5 by Sophia Institute Press

Good Book Series to read aloud to a Catholic Family

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If you have a range of ages in your children and still want to attempt a family read-aloud time, then it is best to select a book that is interesting enough for your older children, but not too intense for the younger ones. You can expect that under fives will need a quiet toy to play with while listening since the lack of illustrations in moat chapter books will leave them searching for visual stimulation. A series can be a fun choice to read as a family since it gives your children more investment in the characters.

The number one series I recommend for a family read-aloud is Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons. Both you and your child will enjoy the adventures and misadventures of the four Walker children, responsible John, motherly Susan, dreamy Titty, and active Roger, and their friends wild Nancy, timid Peggy, bookish Dick, and his twin cheerful Dot. The Swallows and Amazons’ adventures take them all over England, out on the ocean, and even to China. Arthur Ransome’s fine writing and skill as a storyteller make the books in this series true classics. There are 12 books in the series, all wonderful, so plenty of hours of reading! Our favorites are Winter Holiday (Swallows & Amazons and The Picts & the Martyrs (Swallows & Amazons, but really all the books are worth reading.

The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy are amazing books about a Hungarian family in the 1930’s. The first book describes how Jansci’s patient family gentles his wild young cousin Kate and also offers a lovely portrait of life, tradition, and cultures in Catholic Hungary. The second book is a bit more intense, describing the dark War years’ impact on the family farm and the children. This second book is better for older listeners, perhaps ten and up.

What better choice to read to a Catholic family than a book about saints? Mary Fabyan Windeatt‘s books are my favorite for this purpose. The language is simple enough for younger listeners, but the books also have solid content and details to engage older listeners. She wrote about a wide variety of saints so there are many choices!

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Little House series is an American family classic. Not only do these books provide a realistic historical portrait of pioneer life, they also offer many life lessons about hard work, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and perseverance. And of course they also provide an enjoyable story line. Girls will identify with these more than boys since all the books except Farmer Boy are about the Wilder girls, but boys can still enjoy these classic all-American stories.

Reminiscent of the Little House books, the Happy Little Family series chronicles episodes in the lives of an early American family, the Fairchilds. Beautifully written, with characters that jump off the page, these four books are very enjoyable read alouds with great lessons and vivid descriptions of nineteenth century life. For example, in a chapter of the first book, Happy Little Family , the father offers a special arrowhead for whichever of his children first shows true bravery. Stories like these provide great discussion themes: what is bravery or courage, are there different types of courage, how would your child act in the story, how could your child show courage in daily life?

Semi-autobiographical, Ralph Moody tells the gripping story of his family’s struggle to establish a successful farm out west. The series follows Ralph as he grows up to be the main support of his widowed mother, works on a cattle ranch, trains horses, school adventures, touring the west in a Model T, and so on. Little Britches is another favorite around here.

All-of-a-Kind Family and its sequels More All-Of-A-Kind Family and All-Of-A-Kind Family Downtown are charming stories about a Jewish family living in New York City about 100 years ago. These stories about a family with 5 active, engaging young girls are sure to be favorites. They also provide good exposure to the different holidays and culture within a Jewish family.

Depending on your children’s ages and sensitivity limits, C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia may be a good choice. We read them aloud starting around age 6, but more sensitive children may need to wait until age 8 to enjoy these magical tales by a master story teller. The plethora of Christian symbolism and allegory makes these books a rich, thought-provoking read. If your family spends a lot of time driving, here is a wonderful audio version read by a full cast of actors: The Chronicles of Narnia Collector’s Edition (Radio Theatre).

The Happy Hollisters is the first in a long series of mysteries featuring the Hollister family. Each book features the large Hollister family who exemplify cheerfulness and teamwork as they help others by solving mysteries. These are not great classics of literature, but wholesome, simple, enjoyable books for if you are looking for a light read aloud. Check out my review here!

If your children are a bit earlier, say eight and older, they will love the Letzenstein Chronicles, which begin with The Crystal Snowstorm. Catholic author Meriol Trevor sets these adventurous stories about orphaned children in the fictional Catholic country of Letzenstein, a tiny European kingdom. These books have heroes and villains to please the adventurous souls. I find their portrayal of the lowly and childlike characters as important and worthy a very timely witness.

Another good option for a read-aloud for a crew of older children is Andrew Peterson’s The Wingfeather Saga. Read my full review here to see if it’s a good fit.

E. Nesbit’s books are great read-alouds for children who love a touch of fantasy in their literature. Her stories are not exactly a series, but some are loosely connected like Five Children and It and The Story of the Treasure Seekers.

For animal lovers, I can’t recommend Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague series highly enough! Based on true events, these stories about two children’s hard work and love for horses is really inspiring. Don’t stop at the first book! Read more about Misty, Stormy, and other great horses in Marguerite Henry Stable of Classics.

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Good Catholic Books for Catholic Preschoolers and Kindergartners 

Looking to incorporate more specifically Catholic books into your preschoolers and kindergartners’ reading? Here are some of my favorite books for gently introducing the basics of the Catholic faith to our children.

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For an introduction to the Bible, I like to use Maite Roche’s The Beautiful Story of the Bible. It is a greatly abbreviated and shortened picture Bible which covers some of the major Old Testament stories and the major events of Jesus’ life.

Buy it through Good News Book Shop: The Beautiful Story of the Bible.

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I also use The Illustrated Gospel for Children to provide a more detailed account of the Gospel story. My kids are always enthralled by the comic strip style illustrations, which are tastefully executed.

Buy it through Good News Book Shop: The Illustrated Gospel for Children.

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For general Catholic faith formation with 3-4 year olds, I use Little Acts of Grace. It’s a very gentle and basic introduction to prayer and growing a relationship with God.

Buy it through Good News Book Shop: Little Acts of Grace

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For an introduction to the Ten Commandments, I use Living the 10 Commandments for Children from the same author, which has great practical examples for little children.

Good News Book Shop link: Living the 10 Commandments for Children.

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For an introduction to Mary and Marian devotions, we read Just Like Mary.

Good News Book Shop link: Just Like Mary

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I also love reading Take It to the Queen: A Tale of Hope by Josephine Nobisso as an opening to discuss how Mary intercedes for us to God.

Our Lady’s Wardrobe is a beautiful new book that introduces little children to Mary’s love and her many appearances to her earthly children. Full review here!

Good News Book Shop link: Our Lady’s Wardrobe

Can’t say enough good things about this Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children! See my full review here!

For praying the rosary with preschoolers, I find it helpful to use a book with illustrations for each mystery they can examine, and meditations to read if you can with their attention span. Praying the Rosary with Mary is by a contemporary Italian artist and works well. If you prefer more classical art like I do, then try The Rosary in Art for Children, which is written in the first person as from Mary to the child.

My three year old actually asks to pray the Stations of the Cross thanks to this simplified version. Stations of the Cross for Children has the traditional antiphon, then a short kid-friendly meditation on the station with a picture to look at.

Good News Book Shop link: Stations of the Cross for Children

For more of my favorite Stations of the Cross resources check out my post Good Picture Books about Lent and Easter for Catholic Kids

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We read The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith  by Josephine Nobisso to introduce our children to the importance of the Mass. The baker in the story is awakened to the value of a Mass when all the goods in his shop prove to weigh less than a scrap of paper with “1 Mass” scribbled on it.

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For more formal instruction about the Mass, and for learning the basic traditional Catholic prayers, we read Manners in God’s House: First Prayers and First Missal. This is a great book for a preschooler to take to church, with illustrations to help them follow along.

For a more modern Novus Ordo style Mass book, My First Interactive Mass Book is a good choice. There are a few interactive pages to help the child follow along. This second edition has a sturdy board book style construction to hold up to little hands using it every week!

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For a kindergarten introduction to the saints, I like Ethel Pochocki’s Once upon a Time Saints. These are stories of less famous saints told in a fairy tale style which interests preschoolers. The lesson to be learned is that the saints were real people with real feelings, just like us.

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Another good introduction to the lives of the saints, Saints for Boys: A First Book for Little Catholic Boys and Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls are beautiful, hard cover books that make great gifts and are a favorite with my five year old. They include short, simple stories and illustrations of the lives of famous saints such as St. Elizabeth of Hungry and St. Dominic Savio.

For a saint book for even preschoolers, Girl Saints for Little Ones and Boy Saints for Little Ones offer wonderful, short introductions to famous saints complete with a quote, beautiful picture, and symbol for each saint. Check out my full review here!

I love the concept of Day-by-Day Coloring Book of Saints! There’s a one page story about the saint of the day and a coloring page. Great for engaging young ones! Full review here.

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We also loved Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times, a creative rhyming book that features modern saints such as Maximilian Kolbe, John Paul II, Chiara Badano, and Gianna Molla.

Good News Book Shop link: Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times

The Born to Be a Saint books from Studio Senn are an awesome pair of alphabet meets inspiration. These books encourage children to imitate the saints in their myriad of diverse yet beautiful lives.

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Honorable mention for books about saints should be given to Fr. Lovasik’s series. Picture Book of Saints and its sequels provide biographies and pictures of a large number of saints. Fr. Lovasik also has short paperback books on the rosary, Mass, and many other topics.

For general character formation, Devotional Stories for Little Folks from Catholic Heritage Curricula is wonderful. This book is a collection of short stories with lessons featuring a modern day family, the Peterson’s. There are even discussion questions included! Also check out the sequel, Devotional Stories for Little Folks Too. Cheapest to buy these directly from the publisher.

Aquinas Kids Little Books for Catholic Kids Box Set is an adorable little set of board books with simple text explaining topics like the spiritual works of mercy, corporal works of mercy, angels, and so on.

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What Can I Give God?, Will You Bless Me?, and Can God See Me in the Dark? are three charming Catholic books by Neil Lozano which answer common children’s questions about God through simple retellings of parts of the Gospels. The sense of love and closeness emanating from the family in the stories is like a warm blanket wrapping around you and your child as you read.

The Seed Who Was Afraid to Be Planted is a parable retelling that has quickly become a family favorite. Full review here! We also enjoy Anthony DeStefano’s other parable re-tellings such as The Sheep That No One Could Find.

Another parable retelling we love is The Tiny Seed by Catholic Author Katie Warner. She retells the parable as a lead-in to the message that “You don’t have to be famous to be important. You don’t have to be big to be strong. God works with the weak and poor and the humble and the small.” What a beautiful message!

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Before I Was Me is the story of a baby discussing his purpose in life with God, who guides the little one to see his own importance.

Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman is the perfect book to nourish a love for unborn babies in your child. This is a sweet story about an unborn baby’s experience in the womb and chats with its guardian angel.

Listening to God: Silence Practice for Little Ones is a great option to help wriggly kids learn why and how to quiet down for prayer time. Drawing on Elijah’s encounter with God in the Old Testament then providing practice tips for little ones, Katie Warner provides a valuable resource for parents.

Discover the Brothers is an introduction to the habits and charisms of various religious orders. You can read my full review of this book and its sister book Its Fun to be a Nun here!

What a great exposure to cloistered religious life for young children! We loved learning the ins and outs of a day in the life of a Dominican sister with Sister Clare Gets Ready for Prayer! Buy it through my Amazon affiliate link or Catholic publisher Tan Books.

Katie Warner’s companion book is Father Ben gets ready for Mass. A fun interactive look at how a priest prepares for Mass and familiarization the major parts of the Mass. Available from Tan Press.

This new for 2025 book from Our Sunday Visitor is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Edith Stein. Check out How Edith Found Jesus through my Amazon affiliate link or through publisher Our Sunday Visitor.

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Good Books for… Catholic 1 to 2 Year Olds

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We start reading young around here! By the time our kids have their first birthday, they are usually happy listening to me read simple picture books. As always, my criteria include an inspiring theme, beautiful illustrations, and that my children approved. These books are great read alouds for a 1 to 2 year old, and preschoolers will also enjoy them.

We love the sweet water color illustrations of forest animals in the vocabulary-building series Our Little Adventures.

Themes: Friendship, numbers, colors, spatial words, nature

What Did Baby Jesus Do? is a beautifully illustrated little board book talking about Jesus’ childhood.
Themes: Jesus was God and man

Who is Coming to Our House? is a sweet board book which shows the barn animals preparing for baby Jesus’ arrival.
Themes: Jesus coming, Christmas

The Word of the Lord and Cloud of Witnesses are part of a new series of board books from Katie Warner aimed at exposing the littlest Catholics to religious artwork and Catholic teaching! These are quality books that would make great gifts for a Baptism or baby shower.
Themes: Bible, Jesus, Catholic Faith, Saints

Bear Wants More  is a short rhyming board book about a very hungry bear.
Themes: friendship, kindness

The Happy Man and His Dump Truck , always a favorite with my children, is a fanciful story of some animal friends’ trip.
Themes:  good manners, a cheerful attitude

Little Blue Truck is a modern classic with its rhyming lilt and great theme about coming together to save the day.

Themes: teamwork, charity


Baby Listens (Little Golden Book) helps teach little ones about their senses as baby experiences the sounds around him. Lots of onomatopoeic words keep the youngest readers engaged.
Themes: attentiveness to the world around us

Going to Sleep on the Farm, with its beautiful illustrations of farm life, is a simple story of a father soothing his son to sleep.
Themes: patience (for parents!)


Ask Mr. Bear is a story about a little boy searching for the perfect gift for his mother with some help from his animal friends. More text in this one for the more advanced listener.
Themes: persistence, a giving spirit

I love Maurice Pledger’s Nature Trails books for their detailed animal illustrations. Some have touch and feed components my babies have all loved.

Amy loves the wind and Amy Loves the Sun are sweet little old books about a toddler encountering the outdoors with her mother.
Themes: enjoying nature

Biscuit Storybook Collection stories are somewhat repetitive but so loved by my children that I had to include them!
Themes: friendship, gentleness to animals, forgiveness

Jamberry‘s gentle rhymes and clever illustrations make it another much loved and well worn toddler favorite around here. It is a rollicking little tale of a boy and bear searching for berries.
Themes: enjoying nature, a cheerful attitude in adversity

Big Red Barn is a classic Margaret Wise Brown story, less well known than Goodnight Moon but equally enjoyable. Big Red Barn describes barnyard life, while Goodnight, Moon focuses on a room at bedtime.
Themes: attention to the world around us, whether outdoors or just in our own room

If you can thrift any of the old Shirley Hughes board books like Helping or Sharing, they are adorable and simple. We also love Two Shoes, New Shoes and Noisy.

Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book) is a great early book because it provides sensory stimulation which can engage a reluctant listener. Siblings Paul and Judy explore their house along with your child.
Themes: sibling love, attentiveness to sensory information

Little Mommy is a super cute Little Golden Book about a toddler caring for her doll.

For more of my specifically Catholic book book favorites, check out my list Catholic Board Books for Catholic Toddlers

As your child approaches age 2, definitely move on to the books on my list for 2 to 3 year olds!