Song of Francis

by Tomie dePaola, Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)

Overview

This new edition of the joyful celebration of Saint Francis of Assisi features a contemporary design and beloved Tomie dePaola’s signature art refreshed to its original brilliance and vivacity.

Come and bless the Lord,
Because the Lord loves you.

Francis is so full of God’s love that he wants to sing His praises. His glorious singing inspires birds of every color, and even the sun and moon, to join him in joyful celebration. Tomie dePaola’s simple text and vibrant, fully refreshed illustrations bring the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi to life for even the youngest children.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534494923
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	09/13/2022
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	81 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tomie dePaola (1934–2020) was the beloved author and/or illustrator of more than 270 books for young readers, including the children’s classic Strega Nona. He was the recipient of the Newbery Honor, Caldecott Honor, and the 2011 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for “significant and lasting contribution to children’s literature.” A native of Connecticut, Mr. dePaola studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and spent much of his life in New London, New Hampshire. Visit his work online at Tomie.com.

Hometown:

Connecticut and New Hampshire

Date of Birth:

September 15, 1935

Place of Birth:

Meriden, CT

Website:

http://www.tomie.com/main.html

Editorial Reviews

Introducing Francis of Assisi to the very young, dePaola retells the story of the saint's sermon to the birds, omitting any references to preaching and without identifying it as an episode from the saint's life. Instead, he depicts Francis as a solitary man "so filled with the love of God that he wanted to sing, to tell everyone how much God loved them." The small blond angel who accompanies him everywhere tells him to sing even though he is alone, as God will hear him, and Francis begins, first inviting Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and then singing to the birds: "Come and bless the Lord, because the Lord loves you." One by one, the birds come (dePaola names them by their colors), and then angels follow. Despite the small color lesson, there's not much of a story line; adults will have to rely on their ability to read aloud with genuine warmth in order to make a success of this text. The novel choice of media-collage using cut-up Avery labels colored with paintmarkers-yields a flower-power aesthetic, with Matisse-like stars and foliage thrown in, too. Ages 3-5. (Feb.)

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Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1

This simple narrative introduces St. Francis to a younger audience than dePaola's Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi (Holiday House, 1982). Francis, the "Little Poor One," is lonely and has no one to hear his song about God's love. An angel tells him to sing anyway and soon Francis's song draws Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and the angels and birds come to listen. dePaola's tropical-hued collages convey the magic of this religious interpretation in an appealing way. Particularly charming are the cherubic angels and beatific faces of the sun and moon. Preschoolers will be drawn to the spread depicting a rainbow of birds flocking to St. Francis. A joyful addition to public and religious collections.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal

A beautiful celebration of simplicity and joy for the very youngest children. Francis is full of the love of God and wants to sing out, but he is alone. Brother Son and Sister Moon join him, as do all the birds of the air in every color: red, orange, yellow, green, violet, brown, black, white. The birds sing with him, and the angels come to listen: "Love, love, love." Tomorrow, he tells the small angel who is always with him, "I shall sing again." Using painted collage on watercolor paper, dePaola achieves a vivid and muscular color, and Matisse-inspired shapes form birds, angels, stars and growing things; Francis is a barefoot, tonsured monk. The center spread is wordless, full of angels, stars, birds, sun and moon in a pale gold sky, the whole surpassingly sweet. With this effort, the artist refines the saint's Canticle of the Sun/Canticle of the Creatures to an irreducible essence of joy in all creation. Glorious. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews