You see, first of all, the name Catherine (spelled in just this way), has a great deal of personal significance for my family. It was thrilling to see the name front and center in the title, and this coincidence definitely made Frances and Gloria eager to pick it up. And my favorite holiday has always been Easter. This is a holiday that again has great personal significance, and my middle name happens to be Easterling! There are many special Easter traditions in my family, and I've created new traditions around this day for Frances and Gloria. It was fascinating to see how Pascha is celebrated in the Orthodox churches.
Catherine knows that she will be up late on Holy Saturday, since they will be attending church very late at night. Her younger brother, Peter, is way too sleepy to participate in the church service, so they bring along blankets and pillows to keep him comfortable. They also bring the Pascha baskets to share with their church community after the service. The baskets contain sandwiches and sweet rolls shaped like rabbits.
As the liturgy begins, Catherine notes the difference between the service she attended last year at her Grandma's church and this one. But as she's thinking about what she likes best, Father Nicholas begins this year's Pascha service. It begins with one of Catherine's favorite traditions - the lighting of the candles. As she looks around, she notices that "the church is full of light". Catherine's best friend, Elizabeth, is next to Catherine, and as their candles waver, they use the other's candle as support - they are sharing each other's light in the darkness of the church courtyard.
The group gathered together in the courtyard next processes in behind the priest. The mass begins, with its celebration of the King of Glory. Elizabeth and Catherine sit together during Mass. At first the girls entertain themselves by playing with their candles, but Catherine's mom gets wise to their antics and quickly snuffs their light. While Catherine pouts for a moment, she is soon distracted by the pageantry of the service. Bells chime as the priest walks around the church, censing (distributing the smoke from burning incense around the church while saying blessings).
The Mass continues, but the girls (who are up way past their bedtimes) start to doze off. They do rouse for Communion, and look forward to the feast that will conclude the night. It truly is a celebration - Catherine's father even tells her that she doesn't have to choose any vegetables at the feast table! So Elizabeth and Catherine load up their plates with all the sweets and snacks they can. But all too soon the night is over and their families are ready to head home. Catherine's brother, Peter, has slept soundly through both the service and the feast (missing the hot dog he had been looking forward to). As the story ends, Catherine and her family drive home. They are filled with joy, community, and good food. Catherine dozes off again on the ride home, content. As the sun comes up, though, Peter wakes, surprised and disappointed to have missed the whole celebration.
This is the plot of the story, but there are multiple layers to this book. Most two page spreads have two sets of illustrations. The larger background illustration showcases one of many Orthodox churches around the world. Each of these larger illustrations includes a caption labeling the church in multiple languages. It also gives the geographic location and the date the church was founded. What I love about these larger illustrations is that they set this particular story in the larger Orthodox community. People around the world are all celebrating Pascha together as one church. I really enjoyed this idea of setting Catherine's story into context.
There is another, smaller illustration in the center of each two page spread. This illustration goes along with the plot of the book. Again, because this plot illustration is layered on top of the Orthodox churches of the world, the story of Catherine celebrating Pascha also feels centered in the global community. This smaller illustration is set off by a frame which has additional text parading around the picture. In the textual frame Riggle adds quotes from the liturgy, the story, or from the Bible.
What is interesting about the layout of this book is that there is a lot of information being given to the reader on each page, but the amount doesn't feel overwhelming. The layout is thoughtfully done so that the book stands up to sustained reading. Children can read straight through just paying attention to the main text. But the additional text (the captions and frames) supplements the story so well and gives added insight into Catherine's participation in the Orthodox church.
Finally, there is terrific, helpful back matter. There is a glossary with the Paschal greetings in all the languages of the Orthodox church. There are also definitions for other unfamiliar terms. On the last page there is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help readers continue to learn. These questions are carefully chosen to help illuminate some of the dialogue in the story. This is another way Riggle has chosen to convey meaning to readers without making the reading experience too overwhelming. It works very well.
I found this book so informative and really fascinating. It is a great addition to any collection, and will be added to our Easter collection at home. We love both Catherine's name and the holiday!
Catherine's Pascha: A Celebration of Easter in the Orthodox Church. Written by Charlotte Riggle; illustrated by R.J. Hughes. Phoenix Flair Press, 2015.
sent by the author in celebration of MultiCultural Book Day
No comments:
Post a Comment