Meet Sister Mary Margaret

Barb Szyszkiewicz reviews a new picture book about religious sisters, written by Catholic Mom contributor Rebecca W. Martin.

It's never too early to introduce the idea of a religious vocation to your children. And with the dwindling of religious orders and the diminished number of priests being ordained, there's no time to lose. Books like Meet Sister Mary Margaret by Rebecca W. Martin, illustrated by Christopher Tupa, help parents who might not have much experience with religious sisters to teach their children about this beautiful way of serving God and the Church.

In this full-color 36-page hardcover picture book, young readers and their parents (or teachers) get to know Sister Mary Margaret, a religious sister who brings them on a tour of a day in her life. The story begins by explaining the three vows religious sisters take—in an age-appropriate way. Readers also learn what a convent is, and how it is both similar to and different from a family home. I loved that in the discussion of the Liturgy of the Hours, Sister Mary Margaret mentions, "You can learn to pray it, too."

There's a lovely section about various religious orders and their different apostolates. The book concludes with an invitation to ask God what His plan is for you when you grow up:

What do you think God wants you to be when you grow up? How does he want you to love him and other people? Keep listening to your heart and asking Jesus what great plans he has for you!

This book concludes with two prayers: one for the young reader and an additional pray for parents: "Prayer for My Child's Vocation." There's also an information page for parents that explains some terms used in this book in a little more depth.

This book will be a valuable resource, especially for families who encounter religious sisters only on rare occasions.

Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Images: Canva
This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to the author of this piece when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our Catholic Mom writers in this way.