The Cellarer's Celery

by Fr. Jeremy Davis, Luke Garrow (Illustrator)

"This snack is like this life I love, which struggles toward our home above: a crunchy life that tests one's power. No mushy-strawberry life is ours!"

In a remote canyon, Saint Martin's monks seek the Lord with all their hearts. Among them is the Cellarer, whose not-so-secret love of celery helps him remember what it means to be a monk. When misfortune strikes, his friendship with the Sower lifts these spiritual brothers above the momentary hardship to find joy in God.

Written in exuberant verse, this endearing and whimsical tale hides a wealth of meaning. Smile at its rhymes, bounce to its rhythm, and rejoice in the blessings of Christian brotherhood.

Genres: Childrens

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cellarer’s Celery is a joyful tale that will draw the reader along as it explores some deep truths of the Christian faith and its practice in the world. First, I want to draw attention to the rhyme and rhythm of the book. Fr. Jeremy Davis’s writing style is so fun and whimsical. The style and language of the book beg for it to be read aloud, which I did several times with my 3-year-old daughter—who also enjoyed the story. Second, the story offers a very simple yet profound lesson on the Christian life. A few things jumped out at me during my repeated readings of this with my daughter: 1) the sower prays nightly for the flourishing of the celery crop. He doesn’t do this because he wants praise, but rather because he loves the cellarer and knows that he enjoys the celery; 2) the sower’s despondency when the celery is destroyed and his concern on how to let the cellarer know is so useful in presenting how we oftentimes face dread when we have to ask forgiveness of another; 3) the cellarer’s response and the imagery of celery as life is simple but so true and helps readers of any age remember that our life here on earth is not meant to be one of ease and comfort, but of struggle and trying. Nevertheless, our life—like celery—is savory and refreshing. I highly recommend this book for anyone with young children as the story and illustrations—by Luke Garrow—are a delight to view and inspect. My daughter was especially fond of finding the cellarer’s mouth as it is hidden in a big beard. Now I’m off to go enjoy a nice stick of celery.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful children’s book!