Saint Anthony the Great

by John Chryssavgis, Marilyn Rouvelas, Isabelle Brent (Illustrator)

Overview

Do you sometimes feel unhappy or jealous and don’t know what to do? A long time ago, Anthony (c. 251-360 A.D.) felt like this, but decided to do something about his sad heart. He gave up everything he owned and set out with nothing to find answers. His journey took him into the desert of Egypt, where he came face to face with many temptations. But through being quiet and alone in the wilderness, Anthony discovered the power of God’s love in his heart. For many years Anthony taught other people how to live with love, joy, courage, and peace. People can still learn from him today, if only they pay attention to his good life and teachings. The answers are also there for you. Will you take the journey with us? Saint Anthony the Great tells the story of the father of Christian monasticism, who lived in the Egyptian desert just two hundred and fifty years after Jesus’ lifetime. This beautifully illustrated book will capture the attention of young readers and help teach them about Anthony’s struggle to acquire a pure heart. Here is a timeless story about the victory of good over evil, inside us and around us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937786465
Publisher:	Wisdom Tales
Publication date:	12/07/2015
Pages:	28
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Father John Chryssavgis is an award-winning author of books for children and adults, a translator, an educator, and a Greek Orthodox priest. Fr. John’s books include The World My Church (co-authored with Sophie Chryssavgis) and In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Chryssavgis serves as theological adviser to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians. Born in Australia, Fr. John now lives in Harpswell, ME. Marilyn Rouvelas is an author of several books for children. With Jeanette Aydlette, Marilyn has authored Peter Clashes with Anger, Eleni Looks at Jealousy, and The Truth about Lying, which are aimed at helping children understand when their feelings get out-of-control ("passions") and drawing on the power of being quiet and still to calm themselves. A mother of two grown children and a grandmother of four, Marilyn lives with her husband in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from Washington, D.C. and the Lincoln Memorial. Isabelle Brent is an internationally known artist who has illustrated more than two dozen children’s books. She is also well known for her work as an illustrator and designer of greeting cards, gift wrap, and gift bags. Isabelle’s paintings have been exhibited at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts in London. Her art has also been exhibited in Paris, Tokyo, New York, and many other places worldwide. Her books include The Christmas Story from the King James Version and All Creatures Great and Small. Originally from England, Isabelle now lives in France.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2016
K-Gr 3—A picture book biography of a Christian leader who lived a life of consecrated solitude and who is considered the father of organized monasticism. The book focuses on Saint Anthony's spiritual life and struggles as well as his kindness toward others. Chryssavgis and Rouvelas cover the basics: the loss of Anthony's parents when he was 19, his decision to give everything he owned to the poor and to wander the desert, the ways in which he was tormented by the devil, and the choice he made to live alone for 20 years, pondering how to become closer to God. The text is adequate, with some thoughtful insights about religious life, and is complemented by Brent's brightly colored paintings and decorative borders. Those who want more information about Saint Anthony will appreciate the end matter. Though this is a merely serviceable work, it provides an introduction to an important Orthodox Christian figure. VERDICT Buy for collections where Orthodox Christians are asking for materials.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

School Library Journal

2015-09-21
A brief introduction to the early Christian mystic and saint. Anthony lived in the third and fourth centuries C.E., in Egypt. Both his extremely ascetic life and his role as the father of monasticism are described in ways that make them accessible to young children. When Anthony's parents die, leaving him with the care of his younger sister, he sells everything he owns, provides for his sister's care, and "sets out with nothing to find something." He is assailed by "wrong thoughts" and temptations, described as coming from the devil. But he turns to God and continues to repel the devil. He settles in an old fort, alone, where his friends bring him food, and people move near the fort to hear Anthony speak. His message is that wrong thoughts come to everyone, but they can be overcome by "right thoughts" ("like being patient and caring for his friends") that bring one nearer to God. Later, he moves even further into the desert, living to 105. Throughout, he lives consciously, rejecting wrong thoughts and cultivating right ones. The pictures use many Egyptian, Persian, and Middle Eastern patterns and motifs, and Anthony's age is tracked by the length of his beard. While not destined to have wide appeal, the book tells the story of a saint deeply important in both the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox traditions, filling a critical niche. (appendix, timeline, further reading, map, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews