​Saint Teresa of Calcutta  -- Humility
Feast Day: September 5

Saint Teresa of Calcutta, known to the world as "Mother Teresa," was born in Albania (1910) and named Agnes Bojaxhiu She came from a Catholic family devoted to helping the poor, and at a young age she discerned a religious vocation. She entered the convent, went to India, and as "Sister Teresa," taught and became principal of a girl's school.  But increasingly she felt called to serve the poorest of the poor and to live among them.  She left high school teaching behind to serve "the abandoned, the sick, the orphaned and the dying" on the streets of Calcutta, India.  Moved by compassion for those who were ending their lives alone and in squalor, she sought to be a witness to love, and specifically the love of Jesus.  As Mother Teresa, she set up homes, hospitals, orphanages and founded a religious order of sisters (The Missionaries of Charity) to devote themselves to this cause throughout the world.  Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she is also featured as our hero for April—find an excellent book of photojournalism about Mother Teresa there.

At the beatification Mass for Mother Teresa, John Paul II extolled her life of service in his homily: "Her life is a testimony to the dignity and the privilege of humble service. She had chosen to be not just the least but to be the servant of the least."

Photo credit: Manfredo Ferrari via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)

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Mother Teresa (Little People, Big Dreams)​.  Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara.  Illustrated by Natascha Rosenberg. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2018.  (K-2)
Charmingly written and buoyantly illustrated first biography of  Mother Teresa, emphasizing her desire to help others from an early age.  Perfect for the early grades.

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Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Francine Bay. Illustrated by Emmanuel Beaudesson. Magnificat-Ignatius, 2016. (1-5) Humility, Service
Lovely pictures accompany this detailed book about the life of Mother Teresa, from her childhood in Albania to her service to the poor in Calcutta. ​

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Mother Teresa: The Story of the Saint of Calcutta. Marlyn Evangelina Monge. Illustrated by Seung-bum Park. Pauline Books & Media, 2018. (2-4) Humility, Service
Written by a sister with the Daughters of St. Paul, this is a religious biography with lovely illustrations that focuses on Mother Teresa's call from God to the poorest of the poor. 

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 Mother Teresa: The Smile of Calcutta.  Charlotte Grossetete.  Illustrated by Catherine Chion.  Ignatius Press, 2015. (2-6) Humility, Service Despite its picture book format, this lovely work is for second grade and up. A touching presentation of Mother Teresa's path to God through the service of others. ​

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Who Was Mother Teresa?  Jim Giglioti.  Illustrated by Nancy Harrison. Turtleback Books, 2015. (3-6) Humility, Service ​
This lively retelling of Mother Teresa’s life (112 pages, large print) could be read aloud at Morning Gathering over 3-4 days.  The book includes many revealing details from her childhood in Albania, including her family’s devotion to helping the poor.  The Giglioti version is not as elegant as the Demi volume (distinguished by its illustrations), but the narrative is charming, compelling, and easily understood on a third to sixth grade level.  The black and white pencil illustrations are energetic and a good complement.

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Mother Teresa.  Demi.
Margaret McElderry Books, 2009. (4-6) Humility, Compassion
Demi’s exquisite books on major figures in world religions set her apart.  She has respectfully told the stories of the Buddha, Confucius, Krishna, Jesus, and Muhammad. Her Mother Teresa is a sympathetic, accurate and visually elegant presentation of the life of Agnes Bojaxhiu, the Albanian-born Sister, who became known to the world as “Mother Teresa.”  From an early age, Sister Teresa felt drawn to serve in India.  She started out as a teacher and principal of a girl’s school, but increasingly felt called to serve the poorest of the poor and to live among them.  She founded a religious order to do just that, and specifically, to serve Jesus in “the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the orphaned, the dying.” Demi presents Mother Teresa as an extraordinary “organizer, energizer, and galvanizer, a true leader,” but she does not shy away from presenting her deep faith as her unwavering motivation. The text includes several of Mother Teresa’s prayers and reflections on seeing Jesus in the poor.  There is a generous amount of text in this book, so plan ahead for dividing it over two or three days.
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Saint Dismas  -- Humility
Feast Day: March 25

His feast day falls in March, but since our April virtues are humility and forgiveness, and since Easter often falls in April,  we choose Saint Dismas as saint for this month. Dismas is the name traditionally given to the "good thief" whom Jesus forgave from the Cross. Though his story is brief in the Bible, many long-standing traditions tell the story of Dismas's former life as a thief and his transformative encounter with Christ.

​Below we include Raymond Arroyo's The Thief Who Stole Heaven ​(a synthesis of the legends about St. Dismas into a readable book for children), as well as age-appropriate Passion narratives.

The Thief Who Stole Heaven. Raymond Arroyo. Illustrated by Randy Gallegos. Sophia Institute, 2021. (K-3) Forgiveness, Mercy, Saint of the Month.
A vividly illustrated rendition of the life of "the good thief" nailed on the cross next to Jesus, who asked the Lord to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Arroyo brings together many apocryphal sources, to render a compelling and readable story though at times based on legend (for example, encountering the baby Jesus early in his life.) We trace Dismas's journey from his life as a thief, to the point of the cross where Jesus assures him that "this day you will be with me in Paradise." 

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The First Easter.  Carol Heyer. Ideals Children's Books, 2000. (K-2)
This is a visually arresting book, and an excellent way to introduce children to the major stories of the Christian faith. The simply told 32 page book begins with the Christmas story, proceeds through Jesus's ministry, to Palm Sunday, temple cleansing, Last Supper, Garden of Gethsemane, trial before Pilate, crucifixion, empty tomb, and Resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene.  It does so in ways that are moving, but not deeply disturbing to young children.  If this book is prefaced by a teacher who says to her students: "This is what Christians believe about their faith," it can be used in non-religious schools.  ​

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Easter. Jan Pienkowski. Alfred A. Knopf, 2015. (2-6)
The dramatic artistry of this book cannot be overstated.  Pienkowski's black silhouettes and gold ink against jewel-tone backgrounds are a modern illuminated manuscript.  The Easter story is told with  scriptural quotations from the King James Bible and lead the reader from the Last Supper to the Resurrection.

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The Action Bible Easter: 25 Stories about Jesus' Resurrection. Sergio Cariello. David C. Cook, new edition for 2023. (4-6) Forgiveness, Courage, Mercy. 
This book combines 25 episodic, first-person stories in small text (suitable for older children) with action-style illustrations. Among the stories are Bartimaeus, Martha, Joseph of Arimathea, and the good thief. 

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