Last night during family rosary, I gave my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter one sheet each from the Rosary Reflections drawing pad, and the ziplock bag of colored pencils. The children immediately and enthusiastically began drawing the mysteries while we prayed the rosary. This instantly solved a problem for us: How to keep the little ones engaged and close to the rest of the family (mom, dad and two older daughters) while we pray together, instead of watching them dramatically flop over on the floor or wander off to find a toy.

The second, and unexpected, result was that as we older ones watched the little ones grab their colored pencils and sketch out, say, a glowing Jesus next to stick figures of Moses and Elijah, or a smiling John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus in the river, we all reflected more deeply on the mysteries as we prayed.

In addition, the children asked a few questions, so they could get their sketches right. For example, "Who was with Jesus at the Transfiguration?" "How old was Jesus when He was baptized?" The drawing tablet provided several "teachable moments" which made the prayer time richer for all of us.

Each sheet has drawing space for five Mysteries; a printed Rosary in the center helps children keep track of their progress. The sheets are sturdy, high quality paper, which would stand up to crayons, markers, or even paint. The finished works are suitable for hanging on a bedroom wall, as my children requested, or for keeping in a portfolio of their art projects.

From Our Coats of Many Colors

Our Coats of Many Colors, a cottage industry run by a mom in Kansas with a team of six seamstresses, has been making beautiful and imaginative dress-up costumes for six years. They have recently added a line of religious costumes for children - priest outfits from three different orders: Jesuit, Benedictine and Franciscan. The costumes are sturdy (my children have been using these for YEARS and they've held up beautifully and wash quite easily), nicely detailed, and feature velcro to make dressing up easy for little ones. Great for All Saints' Day dress-up.

The Jesuit costume (pictured at right), comes in five sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL).

It includes a full-length black cassock and cincture (like a belt) and features a roman collar. A row of buttons hides the easy-open velcro front of the cassock. The cincture also has a velcro-closure. Some great Jesuits include:

• St. Ignatius Loyola, founder
• St. Francis Xavier
• St. Isaac Jogues
• St. Jean de Brebeuf
• St. Edmund Campion
• Pierre de Smet
• Jaques Marquette
• St. Robert Bellarmine
• St. Peter Claver
• St. Aloysius Gonzaga
• Fr. Eusebio Kino
• St. Paul Miki
• St. Stanislaus Kostka
• St. Claude de la Colombierre
• St. Robert Southwell
• Gerard Manley Hopkins

It includes a full-length black cassock, hooded scapular and cincture (belt). All pieces have a velcro-closure. Some great Benedictines include:

• St. Benedict, founder
• St. Gregory the Great
• St. Augustine of Canterbury
• St. Boniface
• St. Thomas Becket
• St. Bede
• St. Hermannus Contractus

It includes a full-length brown hooded cassock and rope belt. Some great Franciscans include:

• St. Francis, founder
• St. Anthony of Padua
• St. Bonaventure
• St. Francis Solanus
• St. Joseph of Cupertino
• Blessed Junipero Serra
• St. Padre Pio
• St. Maximilian Kolbe

Saul was a devout Jew so zealous about the Law that he persecuted the followers of the Nazarene with a vengeance. Through God's miraculous intervention Saul discovers that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and longs to proclaim and exhort that which he has formerly persecuted and abhored. There are many obstacles to overcome. The Christians have a difficult time trusting him and are focused on differences with the Jews, whereas Paul is eager to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. As he travels all over the Mediterranean, he is impeded by shipwreck and many who hate him. He fled communities in secret and on at least once occasion barely escaped with his life.

The short chapters are nice for beginning readers and for busy moms trying to read the story aloud a little at a time.

Despite its humble appearance, this biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas is a real gem. The story is told as a real story should be told, full of miracles and detail without becoming preachy, yet it is simple enough for the children it was written to instruct. The rich vocabulary hints at an original copyright in the early 1900s and may be challenging to a young independent reader. You may wish to read this book aloud to the under-8s or beside an 8-9-year-old to be sure of comprehension. The short chapters allow for frequent pauses and discussion of the spiritual truths encountered, and the black-and-white line drawings are tempting to our young colorists. Many of the elegantly written passages are perfectly suited for copywork.

The book begins with an introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas that tells of his unique titles in the Church and his gifts of wisdom and learning. We learn of his childhood and his studies, his captivity and his nickname, the Dumb Ox, and of his beautiful hymns for the feast of Corpus Christi and Benediction. We read about the many miracles and holy favors enjoyed by the Saint and learn from examples of his spiritual gifts of charity, humility, and intelligence. Finally, we hear about his holy death, canonization, and the institution of his feast day. Our young students will be encouraged to pray to this great Doctor of the Church and be inspired to work hard at their studies in imitation of him.