Francis Woke Up Early

by Josephine Nobisso BA, Maureen Hyde (Illustrator)

An exquisite work that imagines a moment from the boyhood of St. Francis of Assisi. The publication of Maureen Hyde’s paintings here amounts to a cause célèbré. While she has illustrated many beautiful books in decades past (including Gingerbread House’s three launch titles, Grandpa Loved, Grandma’s Scrapbook, and Shh! The Whale Is Smiling), and many picture books and young adult novel covers for Simon & Schuster, Viking, Green Tiger Press, and Atheneum, this marks the artist's first book in twenty-five years. Her work in this volume derives power from years of studying in the USA and abroad, and from her efforts--first as a student and then a teacher--at The Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Even though Maureen employs the materials and techniques of the Old Masters, and draws inspiration from their ethic, one finds no hint of derivation in her compositions. Ms. Hyde's work has been exhibited in significant shows around the world, and is represented in many important private collections. The paintings for this volume have been acquired by a revered school in Switzerland.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Religion, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Leticia Velasquez]

One of the most vivid childhood memories is sitting in my parish church, gazing up at a large fresco of the Child Jesus and St Joseph working in their carpentry shop. I wondered what the pair discussed amid the rasping of their tools and fragrant wood shavings. My childish faith imagination helped me forge a deep bond with the young Jesus and St Joseph which has never left me.

The same bond is recreated in “Francis Woke Up Early”. No saint outside of the Bible is as widely known as St Francis of Assisi, yet he can be little more than a garden statue in children’s minds. “Francis Woke Up Early” gives children a chance to enter into a day in the life of the child Francis. This is not a biography; it’s a meditation on the character of the boy who became a saint. “Francis woke up Early” helps children see that all saints began life like them, seeking outdoor adventures, and loving their family, yet, his future spiritual greatness is foreshadowed in this enchanting book.

What is best known about Francis is his bond with animals, particularly his sermon to the birds and his befriending the fierce wolf of Gubbio. Using these events as inspiration, author Josephine Nobisso paints a charming yet thoughtful portrait of the young saint. Imagine a sunny morning, which awakened Francis at dawn, and coaxed him to venture outdoors past a sleeping household in search of a breakfast of goat’s milk, all frothy and warm. Dramatic storytelling paired with brilliant illustrations fires imaginations both young and old, and will lead to many a discussion of the life of St Francis.

Each one of Maureen Hyde's richly patterned paintings is a work of art worthy of framing; these captivating paintings of Assisi were completed over a period of twenty years by artist Maureen Hyde who provided the idea for the story.

“Francis Woke up Early” will become a family favorite, and would be a delightful Christmas gift for preschool through third grade childre

[Stuart]

Francis Woke Up Early is written by Josephine Nobisso, the author of my favorite Catholic children's book ever - The Weight of a Mass. In this book, the author imagines what St. Francis of Assisi would have been like as a little boy? Probably inspired by the tale of Wolf of Gubbio, Francis Woke Up Early tells the tale of a young Francis encountering a she-wolf that had been prowling around and threatening the village. Using his gifts of love, generosity, and the special bond he has with animals, Francis is able to subdue the wolf.

Unlike Ms. Nobisso's other works, there isn't deep and hidden symbolism dripping on every page. It is merely an imagined story of a young saint-to-be. What really caught my attention with this book was the illustrations. Ms. Hyde's work is outstanding and will be sure to captivate you and your young readers! It has been a while since the website for Ms. Nobisso's works has been up and running. I hope she continues to write, especially since we are still waiting for her "tale of love," to complete her trilogy of faith (The Weight of a Mass), hope (Take it to the Queen), and love.

[Treasa]

The young St. Francis wakes up before anyone else in his house and decides to prepare breakfast himself. While he's outside gathering eggs and milk, however, he encounters a hungry wolf.

What a lovely book. As the author says at the beginning, this book isn't exactly based in fact - although we know that St. Francis does tame a wolf as an adult, we don't know that he did so as a child. In fact, I don't think we know a whole lot about his childhood in general. Nevertheless, this is just a lovely, gentle book - both in the text and the illustrations. Its peacefulness and gentleness seem so right for a book about St. Francis, the one who prayed, "Make me an instrument of your peace."

[Lisa]

I absolutely loved visiting Assisi in Italy and was excited to read this book. It was ok and if I knew more about Saint Francis maybe I would have enjoyed it more. It is a simple story, and the illustrations are very beautiful, but overall it was easily forgettable for me.

[Stephanie]

Kindness begins at an early age. I would like to think that St. Francis is a great example of kindness not only to animals but to all creatures animal and human alike.

[Antonia]

Lovely

[Viviana]

4.8 stars

[Barbara]

The author's imagining of what the childhood of the boy who would later become Saint Francis of Assisi makes sense, whether it's true or not. When Francis awakens early after staying up late talking about the hungry she-wolf who is prowling the town's streets, he leaves the house in order to gather an egg for breakfast. Spying the wolf's shadow, he continues his task, and ends up sharing his breakfast with her. The wolf never touches a hair on the boy's head, and they make their way home together. The text celebrates Saint Francis's deep connections with animals, and gently describes how an act of kindness can make all the difference in the world. An Author's Postscript provides additional information about the creation of the text and the beautiful oil illustrations.

[Nick]

The artistry involved in this book is amazing, leading the artist on a journey of over twenty years. Oddly, though, I didn't find the telling of the story to be as special. It is a very simple variant on the kinds of stories which arose surrounding the man most of us know as St. Francis of Assissi. The author's notes imply that the events in the story stem from a holy aura which is wholly missing from the story. In fact, the tale hinges on a very practical response to the idea that the menacing wolf might simply be hungry. So, the actual story could have been about any astute farmboy and any wolf who had spent time near people.
The artwork is still beautiful, though, and the book is worth picking up just for the paintings.

[Libby]

An imagined story of Francis of Assisi as a boy, which follows his morning adventure of taking care of the family's animals while a hungry wolf lingers nearby. It was an enjoyable story, and the pictures were beautiful, but it just seemed to be missing something. Part of my problem was that I thought more would happen after Francis befriended the wolf--one bit of dialog seemed to indicate he would find her more to eat, but he didn't. That aside, my kids enjoyed reading this several times, especially looking for the wolf's shadow in the pictures.

[Jennifer]

This beautifully illuminated book would make a nice gift for a baptism or First Communion. It took nearly 20 years to craft the illustrations because the artist took incredible much care in the process (I do hope that she has a museum exhibition of the paintings because they must be gorgeous to see in person).

[Melody]

I loved the oil paintings that illustrate this slight book. The illustrations glow with an inner light, the painter has clearly studied animals and how they move. The boy Francis even looks saintly. The text, sadly, I found pedestrian at best. But do pick it up for the pictures.

[Alyson]

Pretty, peaceful story

[Mary Lee]

A possible moment from Saint Francis' childhood. This is how peace begins.

[John]

An imagined event from Saint Francis of Assisi's childhood.

[Michelle Gray]

The illustrations are extremely beautiful. So realistic looking.

[Stef]

Little Francis is so cute! Perfect book for a little boy just beginning to learn to love the saints.

[Edward Sullivan]

An elegantly illustrated story from St. Francis of Assisi's childhood.

[Stephanie]

The illustrations get 5 stars! Beautiful!