BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON

Mingling finely detailed wildlife portraits with scenes resembling the paintings of Fra Angelico and his predecessors, Malone (World of Words, 1998) creates jewel-like illustrations, some literal, others visionary, for this lapidary account of St. Francis’ life and legends. The author humanizes the saint in the opening biographical sketch by describing his profligate youth, slowly dawning vocation and bitter parting with his father. She follows with eight stories, including the “bargain” with the ferocious Wolf of Gubbio; Francis' invention of the Christmas crèche scene; his sermon to the birds and other encounters with animals. Then she closes with an extract from his “Canticle of Brother Sun,” plus a glance at the Franciscan Order he founded. Though less detailed than Tomie DePaola's Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi (1982), this makes a lovely alternative for younger readers. (Biography. 9-11)