The Vatican

Children's Literature

The Vatican is the starting point for a discussion of the Catholic faith—how an enclave inside Rome became a country of its own, how Vatican City functions as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church, how Roman Catholics celebrate their faith including reverence for saints and holidays like Christmas and Easter. The other places of importance included in this slim volume are Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Holy Land and places in Europe where Catholics believe Jesus' mother Mary appeared (Lourdes, France, and Medugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina). There is a discussion of how the Pope is chosen, the special robes worn by cardinals and bishops and the Sistine Chapel—did you know that is has exactly the same measurements as the ancient temple of Solomon referred to in the Bible? The importance of Jerusalem to people of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths is emphasized in all the books of this series. The "Holy Places" series covers Bodh Gaya, Mecca, The Ganges, The Golden Temple, and The Western Wall—all holy places used to help explain each faith. The quality and breadth of each book in the series varies and unfortunately, there are no expert consultants or any indication that people practicing the faith have reviewed the accuracy of the information. But the text is simple with an appealing presentation, complimented by numerous interesting photos and small boxes of additional information. The glossary and index are thorough but easy to use and understand. This is a good series for teachers to use when they would like to explain various holidays and practices of students in our increasingly multi-ethnic schools. 2003, Raintree,
— Karen Leggett