Summa Theologiae for Babies: Prima Pars

Alex Resch loves how Adele Gulick’s new book breaks down the Summa Theologiae for the tiniest Catholics to enjoy and understand. 

Summa Theologiae for Babies: Prima Pars 

By Adele Gulick

Published by TAN Books

When I had a reversion back to the Faith when my oldest daughter was a baby, I had so many gaps in my faith formation. I was a baby Catholic just like her! I started reading her children’s Bibles, and I realized these books that were written for kids were perfect for me as a “baby” Catholic to access the wisdom and knowledge that God has for me. I wish I had this awesome new book by Adele Gulick when I was re-learning my Faith. Summa Theologiae for Babies: Prima Pars will get kids and parents excited to dive into Saint Thomas Aquinas’ famous and influential piece of theological writing and instruction. 

How the Book is Organized  

This book covers the first part (or, prima pars) of the Summa Theolgiae (The Summa is organized into three parts total). The first part of the Summa covers Sacred Doctrine, One God, The Blessed Trinity, Creation, The Angels, The Six Days, Man, and The Government of Creatures.   

All of these topics are included in this book. Under each section, there are a number of questions that Saint Thomas Aquinas addresses one by one. In the board book, the author has listed the question numbers for reference. I love this because if you want to dive deeper into a topic yourself, you can easily find the corresponding question in the Summa.   

In the Summa itself, Aquinas presents objections and counter arguments to each objection. The baby Summa includes simple summaries and concrete illustrations for the ideas that Saint Thomas Aquinas writes about.  

My favorite part is the section about angels. It provides clear and accurate descriptions of what angels are and how they help us. Everything is in simple language for little ones to understand.  

The Illustrations  

The illustrations are so adorable! They are appealing to all of my children, ages 1.5 to 10. The little babies drawn in the book are so sweet, and the diagrams are both informative and fun. The sweetest image is at the end — it’s a drawing of Our Blessed Mother and a baby Saint Thomas Aquinas praying under her mantle!  

Learn the Summa with your Baby!  

If you are curious about the Summa, but feel intimidated by its depth and breadth, why not learn alongside your child? Summa Theologiae for Babies: Prima Pars can be enjoyed by family members of all ages who are new to the Summa. After you have read it a few times, I bet you will be eager to read Saint Thomas Aquinas’ original version which you can access free in the public domain.   

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 Alex Resch
Images: (top) detail from cover