What a lovely book! Legends of Saints and Beasts retells the stories of four saints and their associations with animals. Included in this beautiful hardbound collection are the stories of Saint Jerome and the lion, Saint Roch and his dog, Saint Francis and the Wolf, and Saint Macarius and the hyena. The text is written in a decorative style in which capital letters are colored in a pattern reminiscent of medieval texts, and the colorful line-drawn illustrations are charming. The choice of vocabulary also has an old-world feeling to it that adds a great deal to the stories' style but puts the independent reading level probably from fourth grade and up. The final three pages of the book contain more detailed background information about the lives of these saints, making this an even more special book. Highly recommended!