Our Lady's Love for Little Ones

Kathie Scott-Avery shares her (and her grandchildren’s) appreciation for captivating presentations in rhyme of 14 Marian apparitions.

Our Lady's Love for Little Ones

By Sara Beth Meyer, MTh; illustrated by Allison Hsu, MD

Published by Marian Press

A beautifully crafted book, Our Lady’s Love for Little Ones by Sara Beth Meyer and illustrated by Allison Hsu offers an uncommon peek for children into apparitions of Mary as special proofs of God’s and His Holy Mother’s continued care for us.  

A Warm Welcome

Before presenting 14 of the Church-approved apparitions, however, the author sets the stage with a brief reminder of Mary’s significance to our salvation. In rhyme, she recounts Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel and Our Lady’s “yes” to God’s plan for our salvation, followed by the wonder of Jesus’ birth and gift of Himself, and finally the moment when Our Savior, from the Cross, gave Our Blessed Mother to us as intercessor and guide.

The pattern for each page spread describing the apparitions is also set by that introduction: an illustration on one side corresponds to three rhymed stanzas on the other. Collaboratively, Meyer and Hsu present all events with warmth and child-friendly appeal both aurally and visually, and without sacrificing faithful accuracy. Quite an accomplishment! The 14 accounts include Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Siluva, Our Lady of Laus, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Zion, Our Lady of La Salette, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Champion, Our Lady of Pontmain, Our Lady of Gietrzwald, Our Lady of Knock, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Banneux, and Our Lady of Kibeho.

After sharing the apparitions, a final set of pages offers one last drawing with some concluding thoughts about Our Lady’s devotion to her children, as well as encouragement to turn to her in prayer. The Hail Mary prayer is included.

The Appeal

Rhyme always seems to draw children in, and my grandchildren, ranging in ages from 2-7, were no exception! The watercolors that captured the essence of each apparition were similarly enchanting. Predictably, the children’s engagement with the stories in Our Lady’s Love for Little Ones partly depended on their level of understanding. Those who were more familiar with specific apparitions or with Mary’s ongoing role in our lives were, for good reason, more attuned to the accounts of her appearances. Age also factored in, of course. Yet, even for those who were younger or less knowledgeable, the lilting verse and gentle drawings kept their full attention.

Final Thoughts

Focusing on a single apparition per story time allows for relaxed reading, with plenty of room for questions and explanations. Convenient to this end, the Marian feast day pertaining to each account described is included on the page spread. Timing the readings about each of Mary’s visits in this way can serve to enrich those holy days. Another possibility, particularly for homeschoolers, is to introduce specific apparitions according to location as part of geography or history lessons.

In addition, for the few apparitions with which I wasn’t very familiar, looking them up beforehand to be an enormous help that I wholeheartedly recommend! In addition to learning more of the intriguing details for my own benefit, questions arise from young listeners. Being able to deepen their appreciation with answers to their questions is extremely gratifying!

One last thought, although it may be a just-me thing: I like to preview rhyming verse when the subject matter is paramount or profound, as is the case with Our Lady’s Love for Little Ones. By reading it solo before sharing it aloud, I can take note of places where I may need to concentrate a little more on pacing or pronunciation to keep the rhymes smooth and the message clear. For this collection, I found that practice to be useful in a few instances.

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Copyright 2026 Kathie Scott-Avery
Images: (top) detail from cover