Saintly Creatures: 14 Tales of Animals and Their Holy Companions

by Alexi Sargeant

Discover the exciting tales of God’s creatures and the holy men and women they encountered! You’ll read about an enormous dog who protected a priest from an ambush, a tiger who shared his cave with persecuted Korean Christians, a dangerous wolf who was tamed by an Italian friar, a boar who was rescued from hunters by a wise Irish abbess, and many more. Each of these fourteen tales shows the heroic virtue of the saints and inspires young readers to faithfully follow Jesus. With breathtaking full-color illustrations, this storybook will become a beloved family read-aloud. It is a perfect gift from parents, grandparents, or godparents to introduce the young reader to the saints!

Genres: Childrens, Catholic, Christian

64 pages, Hardcover

Published September 18, 2023

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written and beautifully illustrated, this storybook of various saints featuring animals - some wild, some domesticated - makes a beautiful collection of stories for reading aloud, at bedtime or any time.

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and unique book about 14 different saints. It made for a great family read aloud.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and fun introduction to some saint stories my kids and I did not know, like St Macarious of Alexandria with his Hyena and St Brendon of Ireland with his Whale.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! The illustrations were beautiful. Each tale about the saint was only a few pages and each page had wonderful art. You learn about the situation with the animal and then a bit of the backstory of the saint or blessed. I would have liked to have mores sources in the back so I could see where the author got the stories. Are they documented occurrences or merely legends? (Bl. Carlo Acutis is in this one as well! His story made me look at my own pets differently. They are gifts from God.)

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dynamic inspirational read for young and old. The "14 Tales of Animals and Their Holy Companions" is set in splendid artwork and Holy stories of Saints, their lives, and their love for God. I highly recommend this for the bookshelves of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, following their own devote meditation on the stories of God's love and Creation.

[cellomerl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming short biographies of saints who had a particular affinity for animals, and sometimes an alliance with them. The artwork for each story is particularly good. My favourites are St Rita of Cascia’s bees, and St Martin de Porres and the mice.

[A.N.G. Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and fantastic, encouraging stories of Christian saints!

[Chloe Ourada · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were beautiful, and it’s always interesting to learn more about legends and history.

[Elise Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how the author used animals to connect with folks. The vocabulary was quite advanced for a children's novel, and I felt like his storyline would get convoluted...

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children’s book with stories of saints from various time periods and animals associated with them. Well written and illustrated. Enjoyable for adults too.