April 2019 - I got this on interlibrary loan in my quest to find good Easter books to read aloud, and I think we have a winner! I don't love the illustration style, but that's really my only complaint - they do their job telling the story, and the background images of churches around the world are a nice touch. The depiction of Pascha felt so true to my own experiences, both as a child and a parent. The only detail not true for our experience is pews (and enough room for children to fall asleep on them!) I vividly remember napping under a pew as a kid, and now our balcony is carpeted in sleeping children. Add a picture of someone tripping over a child, adults attempting to climb over piles of children, or children stepping on each other, and it would be perfect. I'm looking forward to sharing it with Ben as we get ready for Holy Week.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am blessed to call the author a dear friend.
However, even if I had no idea who wrote and illustrated this book, I would still love and recommend it. A two-story book - one level is the charming story of Catherine experiencing Pascha, the Orthodox Christian celebration of Easter, told with gentle humor, an eye for the way a child experiences life, and just a touch of explanation of the feast. The second level is the way that each page is framed like an icon with lush illustrations that incorporate historical churches from around the world, as well as delightful "Easter eggs" relating to Orthodoxy, hagiographies, culture, and history.
Just beautiful! A treasure for all ages.
Released February 23, 2015