Saints Among the Animals (Hardcover) by Cynthia Zarin. 9780689850318
Zarin, captivated by a 1905 book entitled Saints among the Animals, used that book and others as the basis for these stories of 10 saints, most living in the Dark Ages, and their often miraculous relationship with animals. The most famous is Saint Francis and the oft-told tale of how he dealt with the wolf of Gubbio. There are also stories of Saint Werburge, an English abbess who takes on troublesome geese; Saint Kenneth, a misshapen young man saved by birds; and Saint Hilda, who tames an infestation of snakes. Like many stories of saints, these tales contain elements that are not particularly child-friendly. For instance, the story of Saint Colman turns on the fact that the popular monk is a happy man, but to properly serve the Lord, he must live in isolation. Still, readers drawn to these tales will probably accept their quirks. The tales are neatly told, and the book’s effective format–tall, with handsome charcoal artwork–is a pleasure to hold in hand.