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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Review: Little Acts of Grace 2

If you have the first volume of this set, Little Acts of Grace, and love it (which I know you do if you own it), you will also love the second book. These slim little gems are nearly perfect in sharing sometimes overlooked and/or underemphasized elements of our faith to our children. These books are affordable, too, and might just be the perfect thing for your family's upcoming Lenten journey!


Little Acts of Grace 2 is every bit as wonderful as the first volume! We received the original Little Acts of Grace as a gift from godparents several years ago. The Catholic Company was gracious enough to send me a copy of the sequel to review for you and my family. Rosemarie Gortler and Donna Piscitelli have once again put together a gem of a volume on small ways our children can show their love for and faith in God.

The book’s focus, in fact, is how we can show our love for God in little ways. Each section speaks eloquently of common ways to honor God. The first section reminds me of St. Therese’s Little Way, as children are invited to “Seeing the Lord in the Little Things.” The suggestions in this section, and throughout the book really, are quite simple and easy things for children to do, giving them an immediate sense of accomplishment and connection to God.

Subsequent sections introduce children to the ideas of choosing to attend Mass, participating in the Mass, noticing the candles and incense, loving others through service and forgiveness, and loving Jesus by spending time with Him in prayer. Each section has numerous suggestions for children of all ages, from lighting a candle to celebrating birthdays with family and friends.

My children have truly enjoyed the first volume of this series. My daughter, in particular, often struggles with how hard it is to remember to do everything in love for God, but she finds these books comforting. The simple actions done with sincere and loving hearts can easily lead our children towards greater virtue and charity.

As before, Mimi Sternhagen has created pictures that illustrate the ideas in the book beautifully. The drawings are soft but use bold colors and depict children doing the many things suggested in the book. I am again impressed at how she is able to combine several different “acts of grace” into one drawing, so children have a visual reminder of almost all of the little things in the book and not just a few chosen ones.


Whether you have the original Little Acts of Grace or not, Little Acts of Grace 2 would be an excellent addition to any Catholic home! The books can stand alone; you do not need the first book to appreciate the second one. But, they both do offer different ideas for living our lives in love for God. In fact, they are a wonderful inspiration for me, as well, since once I read a section with my children, I, too, am motivated to put forth the effort to remember these small steps to holiness.


This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Little Acts of Grace 2 . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

1 comment:

Amanda said...

Great review! I think I'll add that to my daughter's birthday list. I forgot there was a vol. 2.