Pandell's (I Love You Baby, From Head to Toe!
) thoughtful, well-rounded portrait of this beloved saint will likely prove a treasure for many a family and church library. The volume intersperses stanzas of the sacred song "The Canticle of Brother Sun," perhaps Francis's best-known composition, with brief, thematically-related stories recounting Francis's life and works in early 13th-century Italy. The striking design guides readers. For example, the spread containing the verse that begins "Sing praises to all Your creatures," and a full-color painting is followed by the tales "Love for Brother Sun" (noting that Francis thought of the sun as a living thing) and "The Falcon at the Hermitage." Le Tord (A Bird or Two
) distinguishes each of the pages that contains one of the tales with a multicolored border on its farthest edge and artwork that blends charcoal gray-black loose lines and swatches of gold paint. Her mixed-media illustrations, a combination of spot art and full-page portraits, take on an appropriately rough-hewn appearance and clearly celebrate Francis's love of the environment. A note for readers, a biography of Francis, and a bibliography all serve as enlightening and helpful resources here as well. Ages 8-up. (Oct.)
