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These two volumes of the Treasure Box Books contain a very simple story of Mary's life, appropriate for very young children. The full-color illustrations are quite charming. Please note that this story has the marriage of Mary and Joseph come before the Annunciation, which is not in accordance with the actual Bible account. Perhaps the authors felt that very young children weren't ready to understand this part of the story.

It's a Mystery! It's a Hit! Summer vacation will never be the same. Traditionally, Vacation Bible School curricula are either strongly Protestant or only vaguely Christian. Now there is an alternative that is not only Catholic but also lots of fun for everyone.

The Secret Garden is the third in a series of weeklong retreats for Catholic children. The program is designed for use as a parish summer program or a family-based unit study. It could be completed at any time of the year, but this one would be especially nice in warmer weather because of the garden theme and outdoor activities. This retreat introduces Catholic Marian dogma and focuses on developing the virtues, especially that of patience.

Both the teacher's guide and the student's appendix feature simple black-and-white line drawings. Don't let the non-glitzy presentation fool you; this program has excellent, solid content. Materials for the retreat leader include advertising and organizing suggestions as well as specific teaching points and background information. Points of controversy, a history of Marian dogmas, and apologetic information are presented. Fresh and original game and craft ideas that are easy to implement are described in each day's lesson. These memorable activities will appeal to both boys and girls. Indoor and outdoor games and activities keep this physically active program moving along each day.

Advance preparation is required. Materials are comparatively inexpensive to purchase, and the snack suggestions are very simple.

Daily lesson plans for 5 one-half day sessions follow a similar pattern. The day begins with prayer and continues with a lesson time, activity and game time, lesson on patience, another game or activity, work on Mary garden project, snack, a game or activity, and the closing. A party is suggested for the final day to showcase the week’s projects. Separate, but related, plans are included for preschool (ages 2-5) and elementary (ages 5-12) groups, with some suggestions for teens. When an activity is best suited for a large group, suggestions are made for a smaller group activity. We were very successful in using The Secret Garden with a group of seven children under age 12, and we are anxiously awaiting another installment in the It's a Mystery series.

This has been one of my family's very favorite picture books since our oldest was a toddler. It is a beautiful re-telling of a beautiful story with illustrations that complement it nicely and which are very appealing to children. I especially like Tomie de Paola's attention to detail. It's informative enough to be interesting even for adults.
The story tells of Mary's apparitions to an Indian convert, Juan Diego, in Mexico, in 1531. She asked Juan Diego to tell the bishop that she wished a church to be built. On his second visit, the bishop asked Juan to ask "the lady" for a sign. Mary sends Juan back to the bishop with fresh cut roses - even though it's the middle of December. When Juan opens his tilma (like a cloak) to show the roses to the bishop, they discover that Our Lady's image has been miraculously imprinted on his tilma. This tilma has remained intact and is displayed even today in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.The author also avoids some of the mistakes and biases often present in renditions of the story. By explaining how the Bishop interrogated Juan Diego and carefully recorded all the details, the author makes it clear that this story is not a legend, but an actual occurence. (A note following the story also gives information about the miraculous condition of the tilma today - which is amazingly intact after more than 400 years.) The author also seems to have avoided any politically correct bias. I was particularly impressed with his portrayal of the bishop who was a very holy man with a genuine concern for all the people of Mexico.

The Marian Apparition Trading Cards set includes seven different lovely pictures of the Blessed Mother on the front, from Our Lady of Fatima to Our Lady of Knock and information about who, when, and why on the back. For example, for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the Who is “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appeared to Simon Stock.” When: July 16, 1251. Why: St. Alphonsus said, “The Most Holy Mother is pleased when her servants wear Her scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God.” The cost of the trading cards is an unbelievable $1.00. They are approximately 3” x 4”. Beautiful artwork will make them fun to color.

The Marian Grotto Kit allows your child to create his or her own lovely miniature grotto of the Blessed Mother from "popsicle" sticks, a picture of the Blessed Mother to color (you can choose Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Snows, or Our Lady of Lourdes) a Grotto background to color, polished semi-precious gemstones (Turquesite, Turritella Agate, Moss Agate and Yellow Jasper), a little booklet explaining what a Grotto is and a description of the Marian Apparition chosen, and illustrated step-by-step directions. The finished grotto can stand freely on a tabletop or be hung on a wall, and is approximately 7" tall.

This is a very nice and very Catholic book about Mary for small children. But don't let its simplicity fool you - there is a great deal for older ones as well. There is a two page "chapter" on each of the following topics: The Presentation of the Child Mary at the Temple, The Betrothal of Joseph and Mary, The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Birth of Jesus, The Presentation of the Boy Jesus in the Temple, The Adoration of the Magi, The Flight into Egypt, The Boy Jesus in the Temple, The Marriage at Cana, The Ministry (of Jesus), Mary's Solitude (the Crucifixion), The Coming of the Holy Spirit, Mary is Taken to Heaven, and a final picture of The Queen of Heaven. Each "chapter" has one or two illustrations - in the Tomie de Paola style of course - a short verse from the Liturgy of the Hours and a simple retelling of the story.

This is a full length color movie of the story of Our Lady's apparitions to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. It is faithful to the true story with just enough "Hollywood" to make it entertaining and likable even for the little ones. The scene where the three children are interrogated by the government officials might be is a little intense, so I wouldn't recommend having your little ones watch it without supervision. Otherwise, it's a great film for the whole family. My daughter (almost 6 years old) received this for Easter (Thank you Grandma! : ) and absolutely loved it. I was very impressed with how accurate the important aspects of the story are told. I especially love how they handled the miracle of the sun on October 13, 1917 and how they portray two of the miracles that occurred at the time.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Cut ‘n Color is actually a 3-dimensional story book about Our Lady of Guadalupe. Once completed, this cut, color, and assemble kit creates a lovely storybook attached to an attractive diorama that children can use with the paper dolls to act out the story. A few parts will need some adult supervision. On the bottom of the “book” are pages of the story that you turn while the diorama remains in view. Each kit includes the book, scenery, church, and paper dolls of Juan Diego, the Bishop, and Our Lady of Guadalupe all on card stock with easy to follow instructions. A craft knife or X-acto knife is required. The picture on the cover does not give justice to how beautiful this project is. Once completed, your child will have an attractive diorama to play with and a story to read over and over again.

The Precious Mary Paper Doll Set comes with one 8” paper doll, Our Lady of the Kitchen, six attractive outfits (representing particular titles of Our Lady, like Our Lady of the Smile, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, etc.), a stand to tape on the back and a prayer. Everything is printed on card stock to color and cut. The artwork is lovely.

Passing along to others the concept of such an incredibly personal and delicate matter as the value of suffering can be extremely difficult. It's so easy to come across as heavy-handed, trite or condescending - and many materials do! Here is it presented a loving and very gentle way by means of Our Lady. Mary brought Christ to the world through her faith, love and humility and we are called to do the same. Here are a few quotes to give you the flavor of it:

Sometimes it may seem to us that there is no purpose in our lives, that going day after day for years to this office or that school or factory is nothing else but waste and weariness. But it may be that God has sent us there because but for us Christ would not be there. If our being there means that Christ is there, that alone makes it worthwhile. (pg. 60)

We must be swift to obey the winged impulses of His Love, carrying Him to wherever He longs to be; and those who recognise His presence will be stirred, like Elizabeth with new life. They will know His presence, not by any special beauty or power shown by us, but in the way that the bud knows the presence of the light, by an unfolding in themselves, a putting forth of their own beauty.

It seems that this is Christ’s favourite way of being recognised, that He prefers to be known, not by His own human features, but by the quickening of His own life int he heart, which is the response to His coming. (pgs. 62-63)

If such is the beauty of the world to ordinary children, what must it have been to the Mother of God, when her whole being was folded upon the unborn Christ within her?

He was completely her own, utterly dependent upon her: she was His food and warmth and rest, His shelter from the world, His shade in the Sun. She was the shrine of the Sacrament, the four walls and the roof of His home.

Yet she must have longed to hold Him between her hands and to look into His human face and to see in it, in the face of God, a family likeness to herself

Think of that! But perhaps you cannot, unless you happen to be a young priest newly ordained, waiting for the moment when you will hold in your hands the first Host that you have consecrated at your first Mass.

…

Each work of her hands prepared His hands a little more for the nails; each breath that she drew counted one more to His last.

In giving life to Him she was giving Him death.

All other children born must inevitably die; death belongs to fallen nature; the mother’s gift to the child is life.

But Christ is life; death did not belong to Him.

In fact, unless Mary would give Him death, He could not die.

Unless she would give Him the capacity for suffering, He could not suffer.

He could only feel cold and hunger and thirst if she gave Him her vulnerability to cold and hunger and thirst.

He could not know the indifference of friends or treachery or the bitterness of being betrayed unless she gave Him a human mind and a human heart.

That is what it meant to Mary to give human nature to God.

He was invulnerable; He asked her for a body to be wounded.

He was joy itself; He asked her to give Him tears.

He was God; He asked her to make Him man.

He asked for hands and feet to be nailed.

He asked for flesh to be scourged.

He asked for blood to be shed.

He asked for a heart to be broken. (pgs. 72-73)

If Christ is formed of our lives, it means that He will suffer in us. Or, more truly, we will suffer in Him.

“And He was made man.”

Our Lady saw at once what was meant in her case: supernaturally, He was made herself.

If He is made man in you, He will be made you; in me, me.

It is extremely difficult to lay hold of this fact. It is very hard not to think of a kind of mystical Christ just beside us, or just in front of us, suffering with infinite patience and joy, being obedient, humble, persevering, fulfilling His Father’s will.

It is really difficult to realise that if He is formed in our life we are not beside Him but in Him; and what He asks of us is to realise that it is actually in what we do that He wants to act and to suffer. (pgs. 76-77)

I read this on retreat about a month ago (a silent, Ignatian retreat and my first retreat in 20 years – it was wonderful!) because my spiritual director had recommended it and I loved how perfectly it tied into the talks on the spiritual exercises and the book I happened to be reading alongside it – Does Jesus Know Us? Do We Know Him? by Hans Urs Von Balthasar.