An Alphabet of Saints

by Robert Hugh Benson, Lindsay Symington (Illustrator)

In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, “poet and God’s Troubadour,” this timeless classic portrays the lives of the saints through creative, catchy poetry and quaint etchings. Each letter of the alphabet is honored with a “A is Anthony,” “B for Benedict,” “C for Saint Christopher,” and so on. It includes universally beloved saints like Dominic, Francis, and Martin, as well as lesser known saints such as St. Odo and St. Ursula.

This book is an engaging learning tool, whether your child is learning the alphabet, the saints, or both! Each page

-A vintage etching of a scene from the life of a saint and the letter of the alphabet
-A brief biographical summary of the saint’s mission, life, and feast day
-A delightful poem about the saint, with fluid rhymes for easy memorization

Its hardcover format ensures that it will withstand the long and repeated usage it is sure to receive. Revisit the alphabet with your little one; return to old saint friends and make some new ones along the way as you travel from A to Z in this hardcover reproduction of the 1905 British classic, An Alphabet of Saints.

Genres: Catholic, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Mrsgr. Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KC*SG KGCHS was an English Catholic priest and writer. First an Anglican pastor, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1903 and ordained therein the next year. He was also a prolific writer of fiction, writing the notable dystopian novel Lord of the World, as well as Come Rack! Come Rope!.

His output encompassed historical, horror and science fiction, contemporary fiction, children's stories, plays, apologetics, devotional works and articles. He continued his writing career at the same time as he progressed through the hierarchy to become a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911, and gain the title of Monsignor before his death a few years later.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neumann Press reissued this along with two other books by Fr. Benson. It is a beautiful facsimile of the 1905 original, including the red and black sketches. There are exactly 26 saints with a picture and rhyme for each one. The best thing about old books is that in the pictures, people look like people, even in simplest sketches. And the poetry may be stretched a bit, but you know it will be orthodox. I even learned a few things about my faith which I did not know. Parents, and grandparents too, would enjoy sharing this book with children grade-school and up.

*Parental discretion is advised if reading to preschoolers; there are references to some gruesome martyrdoms.

[Ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been using this as part of our Pre-K. Such sweet little rhymes packed with so much.

[Siobhain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book and am thankful that it was reprinted by The Neumann Press. I read it to my children many times when they were growing up. Today, I have reread the pages for St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, St. Philip Neri, and St. Vincent of Paul. I love the illustrations. They make me think of woodcuts, but I don't think that was the method. The rhymes are sweet, including factual and legendary information. The intent of the book is perfect, to develop a love of God's friends, the saints. Just in these few pages, there are numerous references to England so the children of England were the original intended audience, and my guess is that some of the saints chosen would have had a connection with English history or English churches. I love the ending line: "Make Friends with the Saints, for the Saints are God's Friends."

From memory, I don't think my children had the patience to listen to this book from A-Z. I think the rhymes became a bit tiresome. I think we tended to bring it out when it was the feast day of one of the saints included. That brings up a drawback of this edition. It does not have a Table of Contents. It would be handy to have a list of the saints included at the beginning.

[Kate M. Colby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dad got this book without realizing that it was so explicitly Catholic, so it wasn't a perfect fit for us theologically. That being said, it was interesting to learn about so many different saints. Jack enjoyed the letters and the rhymes, but he started to get a little fidgety by the end.