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 entire book was stitched and photographed, and it is one delightful page after another! Enjoy the book's page at the author's website as it offers many inside views plus this series of posts that show a lot of interesting photos on the making of the book, posted by the author!

The nursery rhymes include many old favorites from Mother Goose as well as some less-familiar ones, but it's the illustrations that absolutely steal the show! (Click on the cover image to get an idea.) Author and illustrator Salley Mavor apparently spent a decade developing and honing her trademark fabric relief technique before attempting to illustrate her first book. Each page is crafted from wool felt and sewn and embroidered with multicolored thread, with characters' faces painted on wooden beads. Mavor likes to make furniture and roofs from driftwood bits, and incorporates other found items such as acorn caps and shells into the pictures. She says that each scene takes nearly a month to complete!

The book's primary audience is preschoolers through grade 1 or so, but older children and adults will love the incredible artistry and attention to detail.

Review updated 26 Mar 2024 by Suchi Myjak.