Saint Thomas Aquinas For Children and the Childlike

by Raïssa Maritain

Because he was big and strong and sometimes slow to speak, Thomas Aquinas's schoolmates called him the Dumb Ox. Not long afterward, he came to be called Doctor (which means "teacher") because he could actually understand complicated things quickly and explain them well. Which is what he loved to do, preaching often and writing in the course of his lifetime no fewer than eighty-five works of philosophy and theology books that changed the Church and the world. Indeed, in 1320, less than fifty years after Thomas died, Thomas's biographer said that "throughout the entire world Thomas's teachings have spread among the faithful, and the whole Church is instructed by his voice." Today, the Church Herself calls Saint Thomas Aquinas the Angelic Doctor ("the teacher who is like an angel"): pure, strong, close to God, and truly a messenger of divine light. Scholar he was, but to those who knew him, Saint Thomas gave not only beautiful sermons and books, but also his heart, his devotion, and his love. Initially written for children, but a delight for grownups as well, these pages show the beauty and holiness that belonged especially to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the man of learning who was also a man of the patron saint of all those, young and old, who love the truth with their whole hearts, and who wish to know and serve it well.

Genres: Biography

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

Reviews

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

FRANÇAIS: Intéressante biographie de saint Thomas d'Aquin, écrite par l'épouse de Jacques Maritain, le meilleur thomiste du XXe siècle. Je l'ai lu en traduction anglaise. Il complète bien la biographie de Chesterton sur Saint Thomas.

ENGLISH: Interesting biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas, written by the wife of Jacques Maritain, the best Thomist of the 20th century. I read it in an English translation. A good complement to Chesterton's biography of Saint Thomas.

ESPAÑOL: Interesante biografía de Santo Tomás de Aquino, escrita por la esposa de Jacques Maritain, el mejor tomista del siglo XX. La leí en traducción inglesa. Complementa bien la biografía de Santo Tomás que hizo Chesterton.

[Sarah (Gutierrez) Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure that modern children, accustomed as they are to fast-paced easy reads, would think much of this little book, though it is beautifully written. Raissa Maritain, poet and wife of the philosopher Jacques Maritain, tells the life of Thomas Aquinas rather in the eulogistic style of older lives of the saints but with more philosophic depth than one would usually find in such works. It would be nice to see an edition that matched the text with beautiful illustrations. (Alas, it is not easy to find Catholic children's books that have both well-written text and engaging pictures. One can find one or the other, but not often both together.)

Overall, recommended for 3rd or 4th grade children who are able to appreciate a solid saint, without being put off by the big words and lack of pictures.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for Grace, thinking it would be a short book to read on St. Thomas's feast day. It turned out to be a longer chapter book that we've read over the week. I learned a lot and gained an even deeper appreciation for this Saint that I have so often grumbled about when reading his works. For this reason, I'm counting it here as one of my books for this year.
Grace enjoyed it too. Some parts were a little lofty for her, but overall I'm glad it is now a part of our bookshelf and we will revisit it, I'm sure.

[Charles Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect little book. No, don't expect to learn a ton about Aquinas or his masterwork, the Summa. But it brings out his loveliness, which is more than most complicated books do. I've alway been drawn to Aquinas but I'm usually defeated. Maybe it's because I lack the requisite philosophical background or perhaps I'm just not that smart. But this little book helped me up that first step. It suddenly made Aquinas appealing. A big, brown lug of a man who never thought about anything but God.

[ShepherdsDelight · Rating 5 out of 5]

85/100 (= 5.0/6) ≈ 5 Stars

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Quite good actually. It offers some really unique insights into the life of St. Thomas, hitting the high points for sure, along with some interesting commentary - often going deeper than face value. A great read. If it's for kids, then definitely somewhat older kids.