Merry as a Cricket
Inside Book Flap:
"Merry as a Cricket reveals a world shaped by Catholic Faith, thought and practice. Here, being Catholic is part of children's everyday lives. A companion volume to A Peek Into My Church, Merry as a Cricket presents two stories from St. Anne's Parish, where readers will meet new characters and rediscover their already familiar friends, Liddy and Mark Bennett, and their orange marmalade cat, Mickey (who still isn't allowed to go to Mass with the family.) "In Merry as a Cricket, the children of St. Anne's Parish come to understand why Mr. Demski, the parish grouch, is so grouchy; he is still mourning the death of his beloved wife, Ana. At the church carnival, loving friends and a mysterious clown help Mr. Demski rediscover joy and laughter. "Every kid loves A Pocketful of Chocolate, especially this pocketful! In this story, the Bennett children celebrate St. Francis' feast day with their pets, family and friends at St. Anne's annual Blessing of the Animals. Before the celebration, Liddy and Mark befriend the new kid in the neighborhood, a lonely boy named Steven. When Steven joins the Bennett children at the Blessing, he finds an unexpected new friend." Published by WhipperSnapper Books, Los Altos, CA (2002) Illustrated by Judy Jarrett Pictured below: The mysterious clown from the story came to the book signing held at Judy's Hallmark store, Inland Center Mall, San Bernardino, California, March 2, 2002
A favorite feature of WhipperSnapper's books are the picture dictionaries in the back, which explain Catholic terms, traditions, and rituals.
Back to: Home Back to: Who Am I? Back to: Publications Back to: Curst at Zala Manor Go to: Trio of Haunting Tales Go to: My YouTube Go to: Media Coverage Go to: Events Go to: Promoting Literacy |
Book signing at the Religious Ed Congress, Anaheim, CaliforniaFeb. 16, 2002 Lynn Kelley, author, and Wendy Goody, editor, WhipperSnapper Books. Below: Lynn and Peggy O'Donnell, previous Director of Religious Education, St. Adelaide Church, Highland, CA. Peggy inspired the story. She knew a real priest, Fr. John O'Donnell (no relation), who actually dressed as a pantomime clown for the parish carnival. Fr. O'Donnell also had a Blessing of the Animals ceremony, which is the setting for the second story in the book, A Pocketful of Chocolate. Some parishes celebrate the Blessing of the Animals on the Feast Day of St. Francis, October 4th, to honor the beloved saint who loved animals and nature. |