A Taste of Paradise: Stories of Saints and Animals

This book is a joy to read. It contains many of the Saints that I have read about and truly love.A heartwarming book!!

This book is simply beautiful. The cover alone made me want this book for my kids. It is an excellent quality hardcover with a glossy two-page spread for each of the thirteen saints. These illustrations are calming yet offer plenty for young children to look at while they listen.Our children, aged 5, 7, and 9, were engaged by the illustrations as they absorbed each saint’s story, all of which are short enough so that the whole book could be read just before bed. When it was done, they wanted me to go back and read some of them again. The book inspires children with stories about holy and gentle saints that had extraordinary encounters with animals, and they prompted my children to ask some great questions like, “How did he get the bear to be nice to him?” and “How do I get animals to like me?”Our family has also been working through 101 Orthodox Saints. About half the saints in A Taste of Paradise are not in 101 Orthodox Saints. For those that are in 101 Orthodox Saints, this book still offers something fresh.I would highly recommend this book to Orthodox families. You will want to read it to your own children and then get a copy to give away as it would make a truly meaningful gift.

A Taste of Paradise is a beautifully written collection of 13 different Saints spanning many countries and times in history. It is truly beautifully illustrated and depicts realistic artwork of animals in their natural habitats. Each page covers a Saint's interaction with "wild animals" and shows how their relationship with those animals was just one way they were closer to how Paradise was in the beginning. "And even now, while Earth is still in darkness, Holy men and women, full of Light, bear God's love to all those He created."My three boys enjoyed this book as I read it aloud to them often. My 4 and 6-year-old mainly focus on each Saint's story and learn just a little bit about each Saint. The light stories lead to great discussions about where each Saint lived and during what time in history.I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to enrich their breadth of knowledge surrounding Saints with young children. We just love learning about Saints as it makes our journeys that much more enriching alongside our faith.

My two children, 10 and 7, really enjoyed hearing this story. It sparked several conversations particularly about the different animals that the saints saved or befriended. The illustrations are so lovely.