All artwork ©2021 Aleesa McCarthy
Recently, I received My Little Patron Rosary Book and My Little Patron Rosary Guide from the author and illustrator, Aleesa McCarthy.
I had known Aleesa from my Instagram days, and it was wonderful to get in touch with her again! Her rosary books started as resources to teach her own children about the Holy Rosary, and going through them, I can see how the simple and clear format that she employed was a help to her family. Both books are thoughtful guides to praying the rosary. My Little Patron Rosary Book is quite thick- it actually contains the whole rosary, all four sets of mysteries with all the prayers, page by page! It makes it easy to sit and pray the rosary with your child, just turning each page; for example, you will see the sets of 10 Hail Mary prayers, with each Hail Mary having its own beautiful page. There are also handy tabs at the beginning of the book, to mark each set of mysteries (e.g., Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous) and other prayers, for easy finding. A “note to parents” also helps to begin things, and I love how Aleesa speaks about both scripture and tradition in regards to the mysteries!
If having the entire rosary in printed form doesn’t fit your family’s situation, the My Little Patron Rosary Guide is for you! It’s a much shorter book with each prayer only printed once, yet it is still easy to follow. It contains the same sweet illustrations found in the larger book, plus this book has a section at the back for notes.
If you prefer to download it immediately, My Little Patron Rosary Guide is also available to print in PDF from Aleesa’s Etsy shop. Alessa has been kind enough to send a 25% discount code for the PDF book. Use promo code HUDE25 in the checkout before October 7th 2021!
Speaking of the illustrations, they are too cute! If you are a fan of Shining Light Dolls or Tiny Saints, then this style will speak to you. Each character is simply drawn, yet you can tell who they are and what is going on depending on how they are accessorized. I especially love how all of the holy folk have curly and swirly halos. They go well with the gold floral borders found around the decorated text prayers. Each mystery begins with an illustration of a scene from that decade, which is helpful for meditation. And my favorite part- often when there is a scripture passage that goes with a particular mystery, a little speech bubble is included, quoting it!
I believe that praying the Holy Rosary with your family is a super way to support the Catholic faith journeys of children, and this book looks like a super way to get started! I look forward to introducing my child to it when he is old enough. Check it out for your family today!
P.S. I’ve Interviewed Aleesa McCarthy about her writing and illustrating! Check out that post here, and enjoy!
Information:
Author, Illustrator & Publisher: Aleesa McCarthy
My Suggested Age Range: 3-6 years
