The Illustrated Rosary: The Life of Christ in Prose

Lindsey Mitzel reviews a children’s book of meditations on the Rosary written by Dominique Morelli and illustrated by Anna Morelli.  

The Illustrated Rosary: The Life of Christ in Prose  

By Dominique Morelli; illustrated by Anna Morelli 

Published by Diocesan

The Illustrated Rosary: The Life of Christ in Prose is a beautiful Rosary meditation book for kids. Written by Dominique Morelli and illustrated by Anna Morelli, this Rosary guide, written especially for kids, is lyrical, whimsical, and thought-provoking.

The book begins with a short guide on how to pray the Rosary. It contains meditations for all the Mysteries of the Rosary, including the Luminous Mysteries. Each meditation spans two pages and includes a Scripture verse reference.

The meditations are written in prose and clearly spring from the author’s own contemplations. The readability of these meditations is simply refreshing, and the artwork is also stunning.

The illustrations are full of understandable emotion, nature-based colors, and simple details. The water-color artwork draws your eye into the characters present, and little details throughout: Saint John the Baptist noticing the dove of the Holy Spirit in the sky while he baptizes Jesus, the understanding-knowing-delighting in smile of Mary as she holds a servant close while gazing at Jesus in the Wedding at Cana, the crumpling body of Jesus being crowned with thorns with roses scattered at His feet, and the darkened sky and moon when Jesus is crucified. These details, reverently added, all invoke the Lord to speak to the hearts of those meditating with this book.

My Favorite Meditations

I think one of my favorite meditations is from the Ascension of Jesus.

And as Jesus was
Thus taken from view,
The Apostles gazed
With sorrow anew;
‘Till angels appeared
With joy to thus say,
“Jesus will return
Again in this way!”

In this meditation, Jesus is pictured rising to Heaven with the most gloriously eager look on His face. Wounds visible, arms outstretched, He is looking toward His Father, seemingly excited beyond our knowing to embrace Him again. Below, a disciple is stunned, another looks to be ready to join Jesus (hoping, perhaps, to be assumed into Heaven that very moment). Another disciple presses on his heart. The clouds burst forth in glorious light and invoke a strong desire to follow Jesus and be with Him and His Father forever.

The meditation on Mary’s Assumption has many similarities.

“Come now, my loved one,”
Jesus beckoned low
With arms outstretched toward
His mother below;
“Death shall not touch thee,
Who, on Satan trod,
And who raised with love
Your savior and God!”

Here, Mary is pictured flying up toward Heaven with arms ready to embrace her Son. Adorable angels look at her as she gazes upward. A man, feet firmly planted on earth, looks down into what looks to be Mary’s grave. I like how this meditation leaves open-ended exactly what happened when Mary was assumed into Heaven.

One aspect of this Rosary meditation book that my kids really appreciated was how positive the illustrations are. Rather than feeling melancholy when reading through this book, one feels uplifted! Even more tragic meditations breathe love. Jesus’ heart for us is truly present in the writing and gorgeous artwork.

I highly recommend this book of meditations of the Rosary for young children. Older elementary or middle-schoolers can pray with this on their own, and younger children will appreciate looking at the pictures. It would make a lovely First Communion gift as well!

Ask for The Illustrated Rosary: The Life of Christ in Prose at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from the publisher, Diocesan.

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Copyright 2026 Lindsey Mitzel
Images: Diocesan