Ancient Faith Kids presents a child-friendly version of the late 19th century Russian work The Way of a Pilgrim. In the new picture book The Little Way of a Pilgrim, Jennifer Anna Rich invites her readers to walk alongside a likable protagonist, who suddenly decides one day to go on a wandering quest to try to find the meaning of something that he heard in church, “Pray without ceasing.” He can’t imagine praying and not ever stopping, so he goes walking to try to learn more about this idea from others. On his journey, this friendly wanderer meets a great variety of people, and he asks them his driving question, hoping to learn what they know about unceasing prayer.
Jennifer Anna Rich’s carefully selected text draws the reader along on the journey through the senses of their imaginations. She includes a taste of soothing repetition which offers the reader a chance to join the wanderer in his question… and in the answer that he uncovers. She writes of reasons to pray without ceasing, and also teaches how to do so, in the context of a story that children can easily follow and understand.
Diana-Elena Popescu’s rich colored pencil drawings warm the reader with images that are visually comforting (all except for one, which by necessity is not). Her use of predominantly warm tones emphasize the light and warmth that pull the wanderer closer to the answer to his quest. The reader themself feels enveloped by the light and warmth, drawn inexplicably into the scene and soothed and comforted by it (with, of course, that one exception).
Does anyone look down on the wanderer because of his physical ailment? Who joins him on his journey? Does he limit his inquiry to those with holy vocations (like priests and monks) or does he learn from laypeople as well? What becomes the greatest treasure in his heart, the answer to his quest? Find these answers and more when you read Ancient Faith Kids’ picture book The Little Way of a Pilgrim, by Jennifer Anna Rich.
The Little Way of a Pilgrim is available at https://store.ancientfaith.com/the-little-way-of-a-pilgrim/
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Education Ministry thanks Ancient Faith Kids for providing a copy of this book for us to review and share.
Reviewed by Kristina Wenger, educator, podcaster, co-author of Tending the Garden of Our Hearts.
Orthodox Christian Parenting 