A Boy Who Became Pope: The Story of Saint John Paul II

Neena Gaynor reviews Fabiola Garza's illustrated biography of young Karol Wojtyla, a book that celebrates life’s sacredness, courage, and family’s love.

A Boy Who Became Pope

Written and illustrated by Fabiola Garza

Publisher: Pauline Books & Media

My husband and I celebrated our seventh “Catholic Anniversary” on the Solemnity of All Saints. As far as conversion stories go, ours is like the others in that it’s fused with all sorts of people and a sundry of places, but perhaps it's different in that it also includes a particular papal encyclical.

After the birth of our first son, Wade and I found ourselves searching and restless. Around this time, he picked up some rather odd reading material for a man who said he was “Anything but Catholic.” As I rocked our new baby those many nights, I’d reflect on Wade’s sort of SparkNotes for The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) by a Polish pope in 1995. He preached what we clung to so fiercely: that each person is a gift created in God’s image, deserving protection and love. Pope John Paul II had called for a culture that respects, values, and defends life at all stages, urging humanity to reject practices that threaten it and to embrace a spirit of compassion. The short encyclical unlocked the door for us to explore the Catholic Church.

A children’s book that celebrates this great saint

Such a large part of my conversion was assisted by beautiful books and timeless, though new-to-me stories. As a mother of two boys, is important to me to instill a love for our Lord deep within their hearts. I cherish when an author and publishing team produce something good, true, and beautiful, just as Fabiola Garza has done with A Boy Who Became Pope.

One of the most moving aspects of Garza’s book is her treatment of Karol’s family. His mother’s love and his father’s faith imparted lasting values, grounding Karol in a sense of responsibility for others. In The Gospel of Life, Saint John Paul II writes, “The family is the ‘sanctuary of life’” (92). This “sanctuary” of love prepared Karol to be a beacon of hope as his community was living in the shadows of war and Communist occupation.

In young Karol’s early tragedies — losing his mother, brother, and father — Garza shows how he learned firsthand the preciousness and vulnerability of life. Karol’s experiences taught him, as he would later write, “In the face of life, man finds himself in a relationship of responsibility that calls him to love, to justice, and to solidarity” (The Gospel of Life, 42). The book provides young readers with a tangible sense of the responsibility and compassion that defined Karol’s life.

Heavenly coincidences

I received a copy of this book to review on the eve of my husband’s patron saint’s feast day. I’ve decided amongst other seemingly impossible obstacles, Saint John Paul II must also have a heavenly hand in the rural mail systems. The next evening, Wade sat on the couch between two boys who are growing into young men faster than I like to admit.
Their eyes fixed on the lovely illustrations. Wade’s deep, peaceful voice strained a bit as Garza pulled the entire story together through the words of Christ: “Do you love me?”

It’s the biggest question and the one I pray we all answer without hesitation. May our “Yes” be obvious to the world by our unwavering support for life, by the way we serve our families and neighbors, and by the way we love our Lord.

In A Boy Who Became Pope, Garza gives young readers more than a story; she offers a model of life shaped by faith, love, and courage. Karol’s journey is an invitation to consider, as The Gospel of Life implores, “the inestimable worth of every human life” (2). In today’s world, young hearts need heroes, real figures who can show them the beauty of faith lived out through compassion and truth. Garza’s work, much like Pope St. John Paul II’s words, opens wide the doors to a life lived for others.

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Ask for A Boy Who Became Pope at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Pauline Books & Media.

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A Boy Who Became Pope: The Story of Saint John Paul II