Saints Around the World Early Reader Collection - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Saints Around the World Early Reader Collection 

Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Lindsey Sanders (illustrator)

Emmaus Road Publishing

ISBN 9781645854265

I recently received the 6 volumes in this set to review. The volumes are:

Adventurous 

Ordinary 

Royal and Warrior

Talented 

Unshakable 

Young Saints 

These 6 volumes are geared for younger readers. They are a very high quality picture book. The six books are available individually or as a set. There is a volume that was released in 2021 by the same author and illustrator called Saints Around the World, that could be read to the same audience as this volume but it is much more in-depth and has significantly more information on each of the 100 saints covered in the volume. The description of this volume states:

“Saints Around the World Early Reader Collection includes all six books authored by Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Illustrated by Lindsey Sanders. Each book features the stories of fifteen saints—young, adventurous, ordinary, royal and warrior, talented, and unshakable—with 32-page full color illustrations.

Young Saints Around the World showcases young saints who accomplished much in their very short lives.

Adventurous Saints Around the World compiles the stories of adventurous saints and shows how serving God is the greatest thrill of all.

Ordinary Saints Around the World features short stories that show children that no life is too ordinary for extraordinary holiness.

Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World show how great heroes can also be holy

Talented Saints Around the World depict saints using their remarkable skills to spread God’s message in many times and places.

Unshakable Saints Around the World teaches children to never let go of God’s hand—despite danger, doubts, and other challenges.

Recommended for ages 4-8.”

About the author we are informed:

“Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a speaker, a writer, and a missionary who has lived out of her car since 2012. Meg loves telling stories, learning about Saints, reading the Bible, and watching the Olympics. She is a proud godmother of ten and aunt of an ever-increasing crew of incredible nieces and nephews.”

About the illustrator we are informed:

“Lindsey Sanders is the creator of AlmondRod Toys, an online shop that sells Catholic toys designed by Lindsey herself. She has seven kids who she homeschools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”

There is no table of contents nor even pages numbers which are the only draw backs I see to this book and the 6 in the series. If you wanted to find a specific saint you would need to flip through looking for them. That being said this is an excellent volume and series. We have given a set of them to our Catholic School Library. The physical books are well made, and designed to last a long time and for heavy use. They are beautiful hardcovers with solid stitching. I bent the books flat to scan a couple sample pages and there is no indication I did so. I believe the artwork is either watercolours or water colour pencils. The artwork is stunning. The artist sells blocks with images from the books, for teaching children, and other resources to support learning about saints. I wish she sold a set of them as prayer cards, I would buy a set for myself and 2 of my teen children who love collecting prayer cards. I would also love prints of a couple of the images to be able to hang in my den.

Each 2 page spread includes:

Name of the Saint or Blessed

Pronunciation Guide to the name

Brief introduction to them

A key point to learn from them

Then the country, dates and feast day.

A world map with a star marker for where they were from.

There is also available a Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set that contains stickers for all the saints in the series. The inside cover of each volume shows where the saints for that volume come from. It would be an excellent supplement for home or classroom use. The saints by volume are:

Adventurous 

Blessed Peter Kasui Kibe

Saint Dulce Pontes

Blessed Emilian Kovch

Saint Damien of Molokai

Saint María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa

Saint Laura Montoya

Saint Joseph Vaz

Blessed Ladislaus Bukowinski

Blessed Sara Salkaházi

Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo

Barnabas

Blessed Maria Therese von Wüllenweber

Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky

Blessed Peter To Rot

Saint Rafael Guízar y Valencia

Ordinary 

Saint Agatha Kim A-gi

Saint André Bessette

Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Saint Faustina Kowalska

Saint Nina of Georgia

Blessed Stanley Rother

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz

Saint Alphonsa Muttathupadathu

Blessed Laurentia Herasymiv

Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla

Saint Martha Wang Luo Mande

Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi

Blessed Rani Maria Vattalil

Blessed John Sullivan

Peter Wu Guosheng

Royal and Warrior

Saint Adelaide of Burgundy

Blessed Takayama Ukon

Saint Casilda of Toledo

Saint Raphael Kalinowski

Saint Augustine Phan Viết Huy

Saint Dominic Đinh Đạt

Saint Nicholas Bùi Ðúc Thê´

Saint Olga of Kiev

Saint Kaleb the Ethiopian

Saint James Intercisus

Rosalia of Palermo

Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá

Blessed Margaret Pole

Saint Pulcheria

Saint Moses the Strong

Saint Albert Chmielowski

Virgin Mary

Talented

Blessed Denis of the Nativity

Blessed Dina Bélanger

Blessed Benedict Daswa

Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida

Blessed Nicolas Steno

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Blessed Francisca de Paula de Jesus

Blessed Hermann of Reichenau

Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara

Blessed María Romero Meneses

Saint Martin de Porres

Saint Jerome

Saint Macrina the Younger

Saint Thorlak Thorhallson

Unshakable 

Saint Josephine Bakhita

Saint John Colobus

Saint Leopold Mandić

Saint Mary MacKillop

Saint Oscar Romero

Blessed Ana of the Angels Monteagudo

Saint Margaret of Castello

Blessed Peter Donders

Saint Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayès

Saint Monica

Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung

Saint Columba of Iona

Saint Katharine Drexel

Saint Serapion the Sindonite

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Young Saints

Blessed Carlo Acutis

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Blessed Cecilia Butsi Wongwai

Blesseds Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa

Saint Germaine Cousin

Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro

Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Blessed Paul Thoj Xyooj

Saint Teresa of the Andes

Saint Eulalia of Mérida

Saint Joan of Arc

Saint Peter Yu Tae-chol

Saint Jacinta Marto

I have had the longer version of this book for a few years now, as well as Meg’s volume Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness but after reading just one of these they have jumped way up in my ‘to be read’ pile. I look forward to reading Meg’s other works. I can easily recommend this  series for home, school, and church library. They are excellent for introducing children and even us older folks to a wide range of friends in heaven. A great series sure to become a family favourite!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Meg Hunter-Kilmer:

Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness

A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal

…

Saints Around the World Books:

Saints Around the World

Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set

…

Saints Around the World For Younger Readers:

Adventurous Saints Around the World

Ordinary Saints Around the World

Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World

Talented Saints Around the World

Unshakable Saints Around the World

Young Saints Around the World

…

Saints Around the World Early Reader Collection

...

Contributed to:

Living the Word Catholic Women's Bible

The Ave Catholic Notetaking

…

Adventurous Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Adventurous Saints Around the World

Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Lindsey Sanders (illustrator)

Emmaus Road Publishing

ISBN 9781645853855

eISBN 9781645853862

I recently received the 6 volumes in this set to review. This is the last that I have read. The volumes are:

Adventurous 

Ordinary 

Royal and Warrior

Talented 

Unshakable 

Young Saints 

These 6 volumes are geared for younger readers. They are a very high quality picture book. The six books are available individually or as a set. There is a volume that was released in 2021 by the same author and illustrator called Saints Around the World, that could be read to the same audience as this volume but it is much more in-depth and has significantly more information on each of the 100 saints covered in the volume. The description of this volume states:

““No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Meet fifteen adventurous saints who knew that serving God is the greatest thrill of all.

This hardcover book includes sturdy laminate pages suitable for young hands.

Adventurous Saints Around the World features the stories of:

Blessed Peter Kasui Kibe

Saint Dulce Pontes

Blessed Emilian Kovch

Saint Damien of Molokai

Saint María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa

Saint Laura Montoya

Saint Joseph Vaz

Blessed Ladislaus Bukowinski

Blessed Sara Salkaházi

Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo

Barnabas

Blessed Maria Therese von Wüllenweber

Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky

Blessed Peter To Rot

Saint Rafael Guízar y Valencia

Recommended for ages 4-8.”

About the author we are informed:

“Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a speaker, a writer, and a missionary who has lived out of her car since 2012. Meg loves telling stories, learning about Saints, reading the Bible, and watching the Olympics. She is a proud godmother of ten and aunt of an ever-increasing crew of incredible nieces and nephews.”

About the illustrator  we are informed:

“Lindsey Sanders is the creator of AlmondRod Toys, an online shop that sells Catholic toys designed by Lindsey herself. She has seven kids who she homeschools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”

There is no table of contents nor even pages numbers which are the only draw backs I see to this book and the 6 in the series. If you wanted to find a specific saint you would need to flip through looking for them. That being said this is an excellent volume and series. We already plan to give a set of them to our Catholic School Library. The physical books are well made, and designed to last a long time and heavy use. Beautiful hardcovers with solid stitching. I bent the book flat to scan a couple sample pages and there is no indication I did so. I believe the artwork is either watercolours or water colour pencils. The artwork is stunning. The artist sells blocks with images from the books, for teaching children, and other resources to support learning about saints. I wish she sold a set of them as prayer cards, I would buy a set for myself and 2 of my teen children who love collecting prayer cards. I would also love prints of a couple of the images to be able to hang in my den.

Each 2 page spread includes:

Name of the Saint or Blessed

Pronunciation Guide to the name

Brief introduction to them

A key point to learn from them

Then the country, dates and feast day.

A world map with a star marker for where they were from.

There is also available a Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set that contains stickers for all the saints in the series. The inside cover of each volume shows where the saints for that volume come from. It would be an excellent supplement for home or classroom use. 

Another great collection of saints in this volume. I was only familiar with 4 of the 15 saints in this volume prior to reading this book. The few I am familiar with are some favourites. Many I want to find out more about. I look forward to tracking down more information about some of those new friends in heaven. 

I have had the longer version of this book for a few years now, as well as Meg’s volume Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness but after reading just one of these they have jumped way up in my ‘to be read’ pile. I look forward to reading the other 5 volumes in this set as well as Meg’s other works. I can easily recommend this book and series for home, school, and church library. They are excellent for introducing children and even us older folks to a wide range of friends in heaven. A great book and series sure to become a family favourite!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Meg Hunter-Kilmer:

Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness

A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal

…

Saints Around the World Books:

Saints Around the World

Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set

…

Saints Around the World For Younger Readers:

Adventurous Saints Around the World

Ordinary Saints Around the World

Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World

Talented Saints Around the World

Unshakable Saints Around the World

Young Saints Around the World

…

Saints Around the World Early Reader Collection

...

Contributed to:

Living the Word Catholic Women's Bible

The Ave Catholic Notetaking

…

My Den – Home Office 2023

My Den – Home Office 2023

Last year I wrote a piece called My Den – Home Office 2022, since that time there have been some updates. My youngest daughter has chosen Joan of Arc and I have added another Joan icon for that. I added a St. David of Wales, because my oldest two children attend a school named after him. Last year I stated that I did not have a den or personal space for the last 11.5 years. The house we were in was smaller, 3 bedrooms and 4 of us when we moved in and 5th in under a year. For a long time I had a desk in the basement, beside my wife’s crafting desk and supplies. For the last 2 years with Covin-19 and working from home full time, I had a small desk in the living room. It placed me on the central floor of the house and when all three children were doing remote learning I could hear anything brewing on the floor above or below. Then the house we have been renting for over 11 years was put on the market. We moved to a very beautiful hose. The children each have their own rooms now. And my wife and I share a space. It is my den/home office, and her scrapbooking space. For the first 6 months I did not put anything up in the den. I had stuff that had been around my desk at home, and always had stuff up in my cubicle at work. But I wanted to plan this out. This is what it now looks like almost 18 months later.

After that initial 6 months I put up a few icons I already had. And started planning what I would like my office to look and feel like. It has taken me another 5 months but this is where my set up now. Work, Play, Pray! 

Across the top above the desk:

Pope Benedict Praying the Rosary

Our Lady Immaculate Heart 

Saint Josemaria Escriva

Divine Mercy (a copy of the one in our church.)

Mary (Have had this one for years from my grandmother)

Our Lady of La Salette 

The Father Icon (from St Mark's School of Reading)

The three coming down from these are my children's confirmation saints.

Saint Brigid of Ireland

Saint Ignatius Loyola 

Saint Joan of Arc

Inside these my:

Black Armour of God Paracord Rosary

Beside these:

Saint Philomena 

Saint Gemma Galgani

4 Archangels

Our Lady of Perpetual 

Saint Edith Stein

Saint Brendan

Saint Patrick

Saint Thomas Becket

On the outside of the corner:

Our Lady of the Snows

Saint Kyriaki

Saint George and the Dragon

Saint Nicholas

Saint David of Wales

On the bookcase behind me:

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Saint Joseph

Saint Patrick

Saint Joan of Arc

Three Crocheted Saints:

Pope Benedict XVI

Damien of Molokai

Our Lady of La Salette 

Beside bookcase:

Crucifix with soil from Jerusalem

Saint Damien of Molokai

Saint Brigid of Ireland

Saint John Paul II

On the desk:

Memento Mori Skull

Homeless Jesus - Timothy Schmalz

When I Was a Stranger - Timothy Schmalz

Statue of Mary

Pocket Cross

Saint Joseph Challenge Coin

Father Emil Kapaun Challange Coin

The new icons and artwork come from a variety of sources, for some I have linked to the sites above. Some more detailed pictures below. 

Timothy Schmalz has some incredible sculptures, and they are all over the world.

These are icons from Theophilia on Deviant Art. I love that they are younger versions of the saints than often we encounter. I picked up Saint Patrick for me, Joan of Arc for my 26 year old daughter I just found out about last year. And the other three for my children here at home. 

These are 3 of 6 Greek Orthodox Catholic Icons I purchased. They are smaller than I expected. But on a nice thick piece of stained wood. The Smaller icons come from Holy Art.

Finally the two painting on either side of the entrance were both painted by my youngest. She is 11 now Jack Skellington was painted a few years ago. The Fall Scene this last fall at school.

The Divine Mercy at out church was painted by a local artist for a previous pastor. I love her rendition of it.

The main sources for my religious art are:

Timothy Schmalz

Monastery Icons

Theophilia on Deviant Art

Portraits of Saints

Trinity Stores

Oremus Crocheted Saints

As a side note about the confirmation saints for my children I pray for them each time the icon catches my attention. When they are older and moving out for work or school I plan on taking them down and giving them to them. I hope you enjoyed the tour of my space. And maybe it will inspire you to add an icon, sculpture or two to your own work space. 

Related Posts:

Another Old Den Circa 2003

New Den - My Working Space 2008

Some of My Old Dens 2017

My Den – Home Office 2022

My Den – Home Office 2023

…

Father Damien And The Bells - Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan and Leonard Everett Fisher

Father Damien And The Bells

Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan

Leonard Everett Fisher (Illustrator)

Ignatius Press

Vision Books

ISBN  9781586170332

This book is part of the Vision Books Biographies now published by Ignatius Press. It is the fourth in the series that I have read, the first was Saint Jose, Boy Cristero Martyr. I had pickup a couple of others, this one Father Damien and the Bells and St. Katharine Drexel few years back but have not get around to reading them because I really prefer eBooks to physical because of my dyslexia. The Ignatius site lists 33 books in the series currently, but I have found at least 3 missing from that list. Which was listed in the back of the very old edition of Fighting Father Duffy book that I read. The description of this volume is:

“This 25th volume in the acclaimed Vision Books series of saints' lives for youth 9-15 years old is the story of the saintly Fr. Damien, who in 1872 went to the island of Molokai, where lepers had been exiled to live in miserable surroundings. Damien earned the trust of the lepers, and his appeals for help resonated throughout the world. He spent his life caring for all the needs of the outcast lepers, and even after Damien himself contracted leprosy he carried on working for his "fellow lepers" to the end.”

The chapters in the book are:

A Fireside in Flanders

Decision of a Champion

The Old Tower Falls

Call to the South Seas

Voyage round the Horn

Land of Volcanoes

Petero’s Problem

Shadow of the Gray Island

Night under the Pandanus Tree

The Rosary and the Hammer

The Enemy Strikes Back

Aloha Kamiano

Epilogue

Author’s Note

The first 6 chapters explore Damien’s youth, as Joseph (Jef) de Veuster, the next 4 explore his missionary work. And the final two and Epilogue explore his decline and the lasting impact of his life and witness. A quite that particularly stuck me was:

“Flanders is a land of bells, and Joseph de Veuster was to know and love their pealing all his life. Many bells would ring for him: monastery bells, paced into prayerful silence; ship’s bells, marking time across two oceans; tinny chapel bells, clanging madly in a tropical earthquake; the almost soundless tinkle of a tiny Communion bell in a darkened room; and, finally, Saint Rombaut’s again, flinging a mighty peal of triumph across the world, even to the bitter gray cliffs of an island once known as Godforsaken.”

I have read many books about and by Saint Damien. My first encounter with Father Damien was back on retreat in 2006, Professor Michael W. Higgins was talking about his book, Stalking the Holy and speaking about Saints whose causes were in process, and some he expected would never have a cause. He spoke about Blessed Damien (at the time) and we watched the film Molokai: The Story of Father Damien. From that weekend on I have had a fascination with this saint. And I have read the collected letters a few times now, Father Damien's Letters. In all that I have read I was unaware of Damien’s association with Bells. Both his love of the bells at home growing up, and his requests for bells for all the churches and chapels he built in Hawaii prior to his time on Molokai. Based on my readings there are a few factual errors in this volume. For example Damien was one of four priests that volunteered to go to Molokai, in rotation. Damien went first and was never replaced at his request, and because of some conflict with the Health Board and Diocese.

But even with the few errors this is an excellent read. I was reading it at a waterpark and a family was across from me with 4 son’s and a daughter. The boys kept trying to read the back of the book. When I told them wat it was about even though they were evangelical and not Catholic they were excited when I gave them my copy after finishing. This book was originally published in 1957, it was reprinted in 1985 by Ignatius Press. 

I plan on reading all the books in this series that are in print and as many of the out of print that I can track down. I returned to this series because I had finished the 38 books in the Encounter the Saints Series from Pauline Books and Media. Those books are geared for a younger audience, and these are written for older readers and go deeper into the subject matters of each volume. This is a great book in an excellent series. My only complaint is that only about a third of the books are available in digital formats, with my dual form of dyslexia and my son’s eye tracking issues eBooks are our preferred format. These books are written for a Middle Grade or Teens in mind, but this one and the others I have read are excellent volumes for readers of all ages. A great biography of an amazing Saint, I can easily recommend this book. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Vision Books Saints Biographies:

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant 

The Cure of Ars 

Edmund Campion 

Florence Nightingale's Nuns 

Fr. Damien and the Bells 

Fr. Marquette and the Great Rivers 

Francis and Clare, Saints of Assisi 

Kateri Tekakwitha 

Louis and Zelie 

Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family 

Mother Cabrini, Missionary to the World 

Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity 

Our Lady Came to Fatima 

Saint Anthony and the Christ Child 

Saint Benedict  

Saint Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal 

Saint Dominic and the Rosary 

Saint Elizabeth's Three Crowns 

Saint Francis of the Seven Seas 

Saint Helena and the True Cross 

Saint Ignatius and the Company of Jesus 

Saint Isaac and the Indians 

Saint Joan the Girl Soldier 

Saint John Bosco  

Saint Katherine Drexel 

Saint Louis and the Last Crusade 

Saint Philip of the Joyous Heart 

Saint Pius X 

Saint Therese and the Roses 

Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Preaching Beggars 

Saint Thomas More of London 

Vincent De Paul: Saint of Charity 

Saint Jose, Boy Cristero Martyr 

Saint Maximilian Kolbe A Hero of the Holocaust

Hugh O'Flaherty The Irish Priest Who Resisted the Nazis

An American Little Flower Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich

Courage Under Fire Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Saint Kevin of Glendalough

Father Michael McGivney and the Knights of Columbus 

…

Out of Print books in the Series:

Brother Andre of Montreal 

Catholic Campuses, Stories of American Catholic Colleges 

Champions in Sports and Spirit 

Chaplains in Action 

Charles de Foucauld, Adventurer of the Desert 

Children Welcome: Villages for Boys and Girls 

Christmas and the Saints 

Columbus and the New World 

Dear Philippine: Mission of Mother Duchesne 

Edel Quinn: Beneath the Southern Cross 

Father Kino, Priest to the Pimas 

Fighting Father Duffy

Frances Warde and the First Sisters of Mercy 

Good Pope John b

Governor Al Smith 

In American Vineyards, Religious Orders in the United States 

Irish Saints 

John Carroll Bishop and Patriot

John Neumann, The Children's Bishop 

Kit Carson of the Old West 

Lydia Longley, the First American Nun 

Marguerite Bourgeoys, Pioneer Teacher 

Martin de Porres, Saint of the New World 

Modern Crusaders 

More Champions in Sports and Spirit 

Mother Barat's Vineyard 

My Eskimos: A Priest in the Artic 

Peter and Paul: The Rock and the Sword 

Peter Claver, Saint Among Slaves

Pope Pius XII, the World's Shepherd 

Rose Hawthorne: The Pilgramage of Nathaniel's Daughter 

Saints of the Byzantine World 

Sarah Peter: The Dream and the Harvest 

St. Augustine and His Search for Faith 

St. Francis de Sales 

St. Gregory the Great, Consul of God 

St. Jerome and the Bible 

St. Margaret Mary, Apostle of the Sacred Heart 

The Bible Story, The Promised Lord and His Coming 

The Cross in the West 

The Ursulines, Nuns of Adventure 

When Saints Were Young 

…

Overview of the Vision Books Series.

...

Reviews of Books and Movies about Saint Damien:
Apostle of the Exiled St. Damien of Molokai - Margaret Bunson & Matthew Bunson
Pilgrimage and Exile: Mother Marianne of Molokai by: Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, O.S.F.
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien by: Paul Cox
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Saint Damien of Molokai - Virginia Helen Richards and D. Thomas Halpin
Father Damien de Veuster Apostle to the Lepers - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
The Life and Letters of Father Damien, Apostle of the Lepers - Edited by Pamphile De Veuster 
Father Damien's Letters
Father Damien And The Bells - Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan

...

Prayer of the Day - Saint Damien Prayer