Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls

by Caryll Houselander

Caryll Houselander is best known for the intensity of her vision of the suffering Christ and His immeasurable love for us, a theme that she frequently spoke of with breathtaking luminosity in her many books about Him.Few know, however, of the many remarkable stories she wrote for Catholic children -- delightful tales that are simple but not shallow. Indeed, like her books for adults, they manifest a tender love of Christ and His little ones not commonly found among us these days.Here are twelve of Houselander's best tales, charmingly illustrated with Renee George's lively drawings of pirates and princesses, castles and kings.Through the tale of Jack and Jim, even young children will grasp the meaning of Christ's suffering; in Racla the Gypsy, they'll discover the charity which is at the heart of the Eucharist; in the The Cure's Guest, they'll see how Christ makes up for the sins of others.Other stories touch on other Catholic themes, but these tales are not really catechetical. Yes, they do take for granted that Catholicism plays a large role in the lives of these children, especially prayer and the Mass. But they do something more . . . and more important.Tale after tale introduces children to the tender love that Jesus has for each of them, and to the fire of love for Him that can burn in the heart of Catholics -- even in the hearts of little ones like themselves.There is no better gift you can give to a young child.

Genres: Catholic, Childrens, Religion, Fiction, Christian, Christianity, Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Caryll Houselander (1901-1954) was a British Roman Catholic laywoman; a mystic, writer, artist, visionary and healer. Born in London in 1901, Caryll was the second of two daughters born to Willmott and Gertrude (nee Provis) Houselander. Her first book, This War is the Passion. written during World War II, launched her prolific writing career. Houselander's talents included painting and many woodcarvings.

Caryll's "divinely eccentric" life was principally a devotion to contemplating Christ in all and men and women and in all life circumstances. Maisie Ward (a friend of Caryll and author of her principal biography, Caryll Houselander: That Divine Eccentric (Sheed & Ward, 1962), states, "Her message can be summed in a single sentence; we must learn to see Christ in everyone." Msgr. Ronald Knox was quoted as saying about Caryll's writing style, " . . . she seemed to see everything for the first time and the driest of doctrinal considerations shone out like a restored picture when she finished it."

Though she remained a single woman throughout her life, Caryll was engaged for a time to Sidney Reilly, who was the model for Ian Fleming's character, "James Bond."

Caryll Houselander has been described as being a mystic in the tradition of Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila. She is best known for her works such as The Reed of God.

Caryll died of cancer on October 12th, 1954. Her bibliography consists of more than seven hundred written works including poems, short stories and articles, articles for juvenile publications and children's books (for some of these she did artwork for as well), articles for various Catholic publications, and, of course, her own books.

Reviews

[Vanessa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caryll Houselander is always a delight to read and this book was no exception! My kids really enjoyed these stories (especially Bird on the Wing), and I had a hard time reading through them without tearing up! We are excited to read the second part.

[TheCatholicBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book.
I tried reading this when I was a little kid but didn't understand it. Now it is clear to me and quite enjoyable!

[Emily Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are great read-aloud for primary and elementary-aged children. The stories are mystical rather than catechetical. The last story, “Franz the Server”, was our favorite, and incredibly beautiful.

[Melissa Bair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with the kids for Lent, as suggested by the Mater Amabilis syllabus for Form 1. These stories are very sweet! It's so nice to have some little tales of Catholic children. Caryll Houselander writes at a level children can understand without patronizing them.

[LoriAnn Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a title on my kids’ homeschool curriculum. The first two stories were so moving that I began reading them aloud for the whole family at mealtimes. There wasn’t a dry eye by the end of each tale. Exquisite writing that somehow captures the wordless beauty of true conversion. I recommend this for family reading for Catholics or anyone drawn to Catholicism. We are reading the 2nd book now for our Lenten reading. Enjoy this beautiful collection of tales!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so very good. We read a couple stories a week during Lent and we were all sad to reach the end. These are the kind of stories that stick with you. The children could really chew on the ideas over time and they have since brought up some of the stories in connection with other ideas. I was thrilled to discover Houselander had written for children and she did not disappoint! Recommend for ages 6-12. Oh and adults too!

[Jill D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, whether you are of the Catholic faith or not, is a lovely collection of stories too good not to share. Each one tells of virtues shown by children through their actions. Each one lends itself well for discussion, or just quiet reflection after the reading. Uplifting and inspiring, a good book to check out!

[booklady]

Thanks Jaye!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one gets 5 stars since every single story caused me to choke up...much to my children's amusement!