The Easter Swallows

Author(s): 
Vicki Howie
Illustrator(s): 
Paola B. Grudina
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
2007
ISBN: 
0819823600
Publisher: 
Pauline Books & Media
Subject(s): 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

The Easter Swallows, by Vicki Howie, is a lovely book that tells the story of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection from the point of view of two swallows, Long-tail and Short-tail. Though it gets right to the point:

"What are they going to do to Jesus?" she whispered.

"I'm afraid they are going to kill Him," said Long-tail.

That dreadful Friday, the soldiers put Jesus on a cross between two other crosses. They left Him there to die.

it was still gentle enough (and of course includes the joy of the Resurrection) for Ramona. I loved the soft, watercolor illustrations by Paola Bertolini Grudina.

At the end of the story, I was ready to hunt down more books by this illustrator, and Ramona happily proclaimed, "He is Rosen!"

Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

I recently received a couple of new books from Pauline Books and Media and Ramona was taken with both of them. The books are this one, The Easter Swallows, and Jesus Feeds Everybody! by Young-Jin Choi and Jung-Cho Kim.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
April 05, 2007