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The Roses of Saint Elizabeth #2
Gabriel and the Hour Book
Relates the story of the making of an "hour book" as a wedding gift from King Louis of France to Lady Anne of Brittany and the good fortune it brought to little Gabriel, Brother Stephen's color grinder.
Inspired by the bunch of violets and cuckoo-buds Gabriel brings into the workroom, Brother Stephen conceives a new idea for an illuminated border. Instead of painting the border with scrolls and birds and flowers in the conventional way, he would decorate the book with borders of gold on which he would paint in realistic fashion the meadow wildflowers, and bees and butterflies, and all the little flying creatures.
As Brother Stephen's color grinder, Gabriel makes the ink, grinds the gold, gathers the flowers, and prepares the colors for him. After the book is completed, Gabriel slips into the book a sheet on which he has penned a prayer to Lady Anne: "I, Gabriel Viaud, am Brother Stephen's colour-grinder; and I have made the ink for this book, and the glue, and caught the eels, and ground the gold and colours, and ruled the lines and gathered the flowers for the borders, and so I pray the Lord God will be kind and let my father out of prison in Count Pierre's castle, and tell Count Pierre to give us back our meadow and sheep, for we cannot pay the tax, and mother says we will starve."
How his prayer is answered unfolds in the ensuing chapters. Evaleen Stein brings the medieval world to life for younger students through her stories set in the Middle Ages. A century ago when this book was first published, a reviewer in the Louisville Daily Courier wrote, "No works in juvenile fiction contain so many of the elements that stir the hearts of children and grown-ups as well as do the stories so admirably told by this author."
Inspired by the bunch of violets and cuckoo-buds Gabriel brings into the workroom, Brother Stephen conceives a new idea for an illuminated border. Instead of painting the border with scrolls and birds and flowers in the conventional way, he would decorate the book with borders of gold on which he would paint in realistic fashion the meadow wildflowers, and bees and butterflies, and all the little flying creatures.
As Brother Stephen's color grinder, Gabriel makes the ink, grinds the gold, gathers the flowers, and prepares the colors for him. After the book is completed, Gabriel slips into the book a sheet on which he has penned a prayer to Lady Anne: "I, Gabriel Viaud, am Brother Stephen's colour-grinder; and I have made the ink for this book, and the glue, and caught the eels, and ground the gold and colours, and ruled the lines and gathered the flowers for the borders, and so I pray the Lord God will be kind and let my father out of prison in Count Pierre's castle, and tell Count Pierre to give us back our meadow and sheep, for we cannot pay the tax, and mother says we will starve."
How his prayer is answered unfolds in the ensuing chapters. Evaleen Stein brings the medieval world to life for younger students through her stories set in the Middle Ages. A century ago when this book was first published, a reviewer in the Louisville Daily Courier wrote, "No works in juvenile fiction contain so many of the elements that stir the hearts of children and grown-ups as well as do the stories so admirably told by this author."
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
20 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Evaleen Stein
69 books7 followersEvaleen Stein was an American poet and writer who is especially well known for her children's writings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 31, 2020
Read aloud to Annika when studying the middle ages. Kid friendly fiction that helped explain feudalism.
Reread this Fall 2019.... Gave it an additional star now realizing what a living book it is. It does tie up very neatly.... perhaps too nearly in the end, but offers a nice picture of a real life of a kid in time that seems so distant for kids, but with a hopeful air, unlike books like Crispin and The Door in the Wall that have a heavier tone.
Reread this Fall 2019.... Gave it an additional star now realizing what a living book it is. It does tie up very neatly.... perhaps too nearly in the end, but offers a nice picture of a real life of a kid in time that seems so distant for kids, but with a hopeful air, unlike books like Crispin and The Door in the Wall that have a heavier tone.
May 13, 2024
4.5 stars (4/10 hearts). I loved this so much as a kid, purely because of the beautiful hour book and other medieval riches the King and Lady Anne shuttled about. I admit I still love that part. The joy of reading about pretty things is mine yet. ;)
Rereading the book as an adult, I might have appreciated it more than as a child! As a writer—and a moody person—I related to poor brother Stephen. Gabriel was a lovely role model, with such excellent attitude and humility. The King and Lady Anne were probably too nice to be real, but they were great additions, and Count Pierre was delightful to foil. The Abbott turned out better than expected. And I love the friendship between Gabriel and Brother Stephen.
With ancestors from Normandy, I loved that setting! The countryside is beautifully described. The plot is well paced, interesting but simple, gripping but slow, taking over a year and ending at Christmas. The style was good, and not too condescending. While the religion is (obviously) Catholic, the faith is presented with surprising neutrality, and I liked very much the emphasis on God’s goodness, love, and provision. The part about Gabriel not daring ask for more yet God giving more than he ever imagined is will worth pondering.
Overall, this is an excellent little children’s book that I quite love!
A Favourite Quote: As the Abbot saw how beautiful it all was, and how different from any other of the Abbey illuminations, he smiled to himself with pleasure. For the Abbot, though he never said a great deal, yet very well knew a good piece of artistic work when he saw it. Instead of merely smiling to himself, however, it would have made Brother Stephen much happier if he had taken the trouble to say aloud some of the nice things he was thinking about the work.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: ...to Gabriel the whole book seemed a marvellous bouquet of all the sweet flowers he had daily gathered from the Norman fields, and that Brother Stephen, by the magic of his art, had made immortal. Indeed the little boy fairly blinked as he looked at the sparkling beauty of those pages where the blossoms were to live on, through the centuries, bright and beautiful and unharmed by wind or rain or the driving snow, that even then was covering up all the bare frost-smitten meadows without.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: When he reached the castle, he asked to see Count Pierre, and so was taken into the great hall, where the count received him in a very haughty manner. He became somewhat more polite, however, when he learned that King Louis had sent the messenger to him; though he looked decidedly blank when the latter presented to him a letter.
Rereading the book as an adult, I might have appreciated it more than as a child! As a writer—and a moody person—I related to poor brother Stephen. Gabriel was a lovely role model, with such excellent attitude and humility. The King and Lady Anne were probably too nice to be real, but they were great additions, and Count Pierre was delightful to foil. The Abbott turned out better than expected. And I love the friendship between Gabriel and Brother Stephen.
With ancestors from Normandy, I loved that setting! The countryside is beautifully described. The plot is well paced, interesting but simple, gripping but slow, taking over a year and ending at Christmas. The style was good, and not too condescending. While the religion is (obviously) Catholic, the faith is presented with surprising neutrality, and I liked very much the emphasis on God’s goodness, love, and provision. The part about Gabriel not daring ask for more yet God giving more than he ever imagined is will worth pondering.
Overall, this is an excellent little children’s book that I quite love!
A Favourite Quote: As the Abbot saw how beautiful it all was, and how different from any other of the Abbey illuminations, he smiled to himself with pleasure. For the Abbot, though he never said a great deal, yet very well knew a good piece of artistic work when he saw it. Instead of merely smiling to himself, however, it would have made Brother Stephen much happier if he had taken the trouble to say aloud some of the nice things he was thinking about the work.
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: ...to Gabriel the whole book seemed a marvellous bouquet of all the sweet flowers he had daily gathered from the Norman fields, and that Brother Stephen, by the magic of his art, had made immortal. Indeed the little boy fairly blinked as he looked at the sparkling beauty of those pages where the blossoms were to live on, through the centuries, bright and beautiful and unharmed by wind or rain or the driving snow, that even then was covering up all the bare frost-smitten meadows without.
A Favourite Humorous Quote: When he reached the castle, he asked to see Count Pierre, and so was taken into the great hall, where the count received him in a very haughty manner. He became somewhat more polite, however, when he learned that King Louis had sent the messenger to him; though he looked decidedly blank when the latter presented to him a letter.
November 11, 2025
I loved this book! It was so good! I recommend this to anyone, especially people who like to learn about what things were like back then.
December 28, 2024
This was a beautifully told story of a young peasant boy of Normandy who is taught how to grind colors and make ink for the monks working on illuminations. He develops a special relationship with Brother Stephen, the most talented artist who is given the commission of creating an hour book which is to be the wedding gift of King Louis XII to his bride Princess Anne of Brittany. The field flowers loved by and collected by Gabriel serve as the inspiration for the illuminated pages of the book. When injustice strikes Gabriel’s family, he is inspired to include an extra page with his prayer to God that the King might make things right. A lovely story of trust in God in the difficulties of life in medieval times complete with villains and heroes.
June 26, 2025
It had some slow moments. I loved how it was
historical fiction. I loved that I got to paint a picture from it. Every single bit I loved, except the slow bits. 🙂
historical fiction. I loved that I got to paint a picture from it. Every single bit I loved, except the slow bits. 🙂
October 19, 2020
Read with my daughter for homeschool. It is a sweet story with beautiful lessons and themes. But it was so overly descriptive that I even found myself having difficulty focusing on the text, and I know my daughter struggled with keeping focus even while I read nearly the entire thing aloud to her. While this is a very high quality and beautifully written book, it’s not the type that instills a love of reading for an upper elementary student and I’m not going to pretend that we both loved it.
July 23, 2021
Sweet well- written and uplifting
Read aloud with my tween, and on my own. Has a tender message, good explanation of olden times, and good story telling. I wanted to finish it and read ahead.
Read aloud with my tween, and on my own. Has a tender message, good explanation of olden times, and good story telling. I wanted to finish it and read ahead.
April 13, 2018
My 12-year-old son and I read this book together, taking turns reading a paragraph each. I was skeptical of enjoying it together given his age, the method, and the book. The skepticism was pointless. We both loved it and he read ahead of me more than once.
The story begins simply, builds quite slowly to a climax but at the climax both of us were asking the other to read just a little more. He finished before me (see above about reading ahead) and I finished today.
The conclusion was brief: loose ends were tied together quickly and further interest in medieval art encouraged.
A short and uplifting read about people seeking to do good and progress - even when it looks pointless.
The story begins simply, builds quite slowly to a climax but at the climax both of us were asking the other to read just a little more. He finished before me (see above about reading ahead) and I finished today.
The conclusion was brief: loose ends were tied together quickly and further interest in medieval art encouraged.
A short and uplifting read about people seeking to do good and progress - even when it looks pointless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
Lovely little story about a young boy, Gabriel, whose job it is to assist monks who illuminate manuscripts. He gathers flowers, catches eels, beats eggs, boils hawthorn buds, and crushes gold, all to help them have the supplies they need to make beautiful books.
Gabriel's home life is hard, and he writes a prayer which he includes in the back of a manuscript. He hopes that God will hear his prayer because of the hard work he put into the preparation of the book.
I might complain that the end leaves everything wrapped up a little too neat and tidy—but sometimes that's okay.
Gabriel's home life is hard, and he writes a prayer which he includes in the back of a manuscript. He hopes that God will hear his prayer because of the hard work he put into the preparation of the book.
I might complain that the end leaves everything wrapped up a little too neat and tidy—but sometimes that's okay.
September 21, 2021
I've read this book twice, once with my son and again with my daughter. We've all loved and learned from this book. I know others have mentioned the tidy ending, but I think it's okay to have happy endings in books!
Things I loved about this book: that God and praying is spoken of, hard work and persistence is appreciated, empathy and kindness is revered, and history and tedious artistic preparations (catching eels, grinding bark, etc) are taught.
After reading this book, we felt uplifted and highly enlightened regarding medieval life.
Things I loved about this book: that God and praying is spoken of, hard work and persistence is appreciated, empathy and kindness is revered, and history and tedious artistic preparations (catching eels, grinding bark, etc) are taught.
After reading this book, we felt uplifted and highly enlightened regarding medieval life.
July 20, 2020
I loved this! I read it aloud for my girl's schoolwork and was pleasantly surprised how accessible it made the Middle Ages. My daughter also found she could relate with the main character and really cared how he fared. I loved how the story carries the reader and shows not tells us about both the characters and the place. My daughter was also quite pleased that it ended happily, an important feature in her book.
February 23, 2020
What a sweet story! Stein brings to life a little-known corner of medieval history, illuminating for us the work of color-grinders and book-makers. The faith aspect of the story was sweet, as well, with Gabriel writing a prayer to God and the answer coming months later, better than he could ask or think.
August 4, 2021
This was a shared reading assignment from my daughter's reading curriculum. It was a slow start and took us a little to get into the more sophisticated language and rich details but we got caught up in the story.
August 19, 2022
This is a really sweet story that was assigned as a read-aloud for Owen. The old-fashioned language made it difficult to read at times, but I appreciated how the book gave us insight to life in the Middle Ages, and the characters displayed the qualities of fortitude, kindness, and faith.
October 22, 2017
Sweet little story set in the middle ages.
February 28, 2018
Great, uplifting short read. Great family read too.
May 27, 2019
A worthy story of a poor young apprentice to a monk who illuminates Scripture. I started pre-reading for my children and then couldn't put it down! Good for Sunday reading.
April 7, 2020
Read this book with my 10 year old for school. Loved it.
May 4, 2020
Such a great story ❤️.
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August 13, 2020Read with my daughter for home school. She loved it since the story is based on medieval Illuminations. Very sweet story, with lots of info on fuedalism, the role of the church in medieval France.
September 2, 2020
Read with my daughter for school. Beautiful writings and words.
October 1, 2020
Read this with my little one for school. We both enjoyed it greatly. Quick little read, but worth it.
October 6, 2020
3 1/2 stars. Lovely little book set in the Middle Ages. Great for elementary kids.
October 15, 2020
Delightful children's lit, older language, themes that encourage good and beautiful ideas. I read with a 5th grader and enjoyed it!
March 30, 2021
Read with Leo—such a beautiful story, and we learned a lot about illuminated manuscripts and how medieval paint and ink was made, too.
July 29, 2021
A nice, easy read for older elementary or middle school. It would be a good read aloud book.
March 18, 2022
Heartwarming and gentle-this is a great story to read with your children.
September 27, 2024
Cute story, but a bit dated.
December 12, 2024
Not the best book I have ever listened to I would not listen to it again in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews