"Baa-baa," sang the lamb. "Shoo, go play," said Francis, but the little lamb just grinned and trotted happily behind the man who preached to people and dogs and flowers and fish and frogs. With lilting verse and playful imagery, award-winning author Pat Mora celebrates the tender relationship between the beloved saint and the animals he loved. Woodcut artist David Frampton captures the exuberant songs of Francis and the animals in charming, colorful woodcuts that underscore the harmony between humans and the natural world. Inspired by Saint Francis's own reverence and love for animals, this book will encourage readers young and old to join in with the clucks of the chickens, the whirring of the cicadas, and the songs of the nightingale. PreSchool-Grade 2–Mora's narrative about the Saint and his tender relationships with wild creatures is more poetry than story. The lyrical text describes how Francis speaks with birds, tames a wolf that threatens the people of Gubbio, and re-creates the manger scene with the help of villagers, lambs, an ox, and a donkey. Throughout, the animals sing and call back to him. Some Italian phrases are included, with a translation at the front of the book. The variety of species that populate Frampton's vibrant, detailed two-page woodcuts will delight youngsters. The animals are full of character and personality and emphasize Francis's belief in their gentleness. The fierce wolf turns into a fawning supplicant and a falcon shelters the sleeping man with spread wings. While this book may be more relevant to parochial than secular schools, its message of treating all living things with kindness is universal. Francis's compassion for a worm shows children an example of having respect for even the lowliest of creatures. –Jane Barrer, formerly at Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. K-Gr. 3. Written in occasionally rhyming poetry, this evocative title isn't for readers seeking a traditional biography of St. Francis. The somewhat disjointed text wanders through oblique references to specific St. Francis stories, such as the Wolf of Grubbio, and many children without any background in the saint's life may need help puzzling out the allusions. What's most powerful here is the poetry that brings close the spiritual connection between Francis and the animals. Particularly memorable is his sunset duet with a nightingale: "Their voices twirled and whirled . . . over the hills . . and over the world . . . like ribbons in the wind." With bold, swirling lines and spreads teeming with blooming plants and animal figures, Frampton's colored woodcuts extend the messages of peace, joy, and equality among creatures. Pair this with more straightforward tellings, such as Margaret Hodges' Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts (1991) and Richard Egielski's excellent Saint Francis and the Wolf (2005). Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Mora praises in poetry Saint Francis' calming way of communing with creatures great and small in this celebratory picture book, made all the more joyous by Frampton's handsome colored woodcuts." --Publishers Weekly Baa-baa, sang the lamb. Shoo, go play, said Francis, but the little lamb just grinned and trotted happily behind the man who preached to people and dogs and flowers and fish and frogs. With lilting verse and playful imagery, award-winning author Pat Mora celebrates the tender relationship between the beloved saint and the animals he loved. Woodcut artist David Frampton captures the exuberant songs of Francis and the animals in charming, colorful woodcuts that underscore the harmony between humans and the natural world. Inspired by Saint Francisâ s own reverence and love for animals, this book will encourage readers young and old to join in with the clucks of the chickens, the whirring of the cicadas, and the songs of the nightingale. ""Baa-baa," sang the lamb. "Shoo, go play," said Francis, but the little lamb just grinned and trotted happily behind the man who preached to people and dogs and flowers and fish and frogs." With lilting verse and playful imagery, award-winning author Pat Mora celebrates the tender relationship between the beloved saint and the animals he loved. Woodcut artist David Frampton captures the exuberant songs of Francis and the animals in charming, colorful woodcuts that underscore the harmony between humans and the natural world. Inspired by Saint Francis's own reverence and love for animals, this book will encourage readers young and old to join in with the clucks of the chickens, the whirring of the cicadas, and the songs of the nightingale. Pat Mora, a popular presenter across the country at conferences, campuses, libraries, and schools, speaks and offers workshops on literacy, creativity, leadership, the writing process, and serving diverse populations. "