Catherine’s Pascha

FTC Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.*

We recently read the book Catherine’s Pascha by Charlotte Riggle, illustrated by R. J. Hughes. Catherine’s Pascha is a beautiful story about the Orthodox Church celebration of Pascha, as told through the eyes of 6-year-old Catherine.

Our family is Catholic, but I have always felt it important for our children to understand faiths of the world. I have wanted to introduce world religions into our homeschool for some time now, and Catherine’s Pascha was a perfect way for embark on this path. Folks, we loved this book. Catherine’s excitement for the Pascha celebration was contagious. My kids were enthralled with the text and illustrations, and they were so excited to see what was going to happen. Would Catherine fall asleep? Would her brother, Peter, wake up, or would he miss the entire celebration -junk food and all? Did the kids really get to hold a burning candle while at church and stay up all night long?

Folks, my kids adored this book. In fact, as soon as we were finished reading it the very first time, they requested that we read it again. Catherine’s Pascha is one of those books where you notice something new each time you read it. The book is not just entertaining for children, either. I enjoyed learning about the celebration of Pascha, in addition to the beautiful illustrations of Orthodox Churches throughout the world and Biblical quotes (you know I love quotes!). As a mom and educator, I especially appreciated how the author included a differently-abled character: Catherine’s best friend, Elizabeth.

As a homeschooling mom who does not celebrate Pascha, I absolutely adored both the vocabulary and frequently asked questions section, found at the end of Catherine’s Pascha, in addition to the Catherine’s Pascha website. The website answers any additional questions one may have about the celebration of Pascha, but it also includes recipes, activities, and crafts. One could easily use Catherine’s Pascha and the related links and activities to do an entire unit study on the history and celebration of Pascha. After reading the book, we really wanted to try the recipes but unfortunately we are without a kitchen at the moment, so we bookmarked the page for later. Leo had a great time working on the Pascha word search and treasure hunt (it was like a Pascha I Spy!), and the two of us used the printable map to go back through the book and locate all of the Orthodox Churches featured in the book.

I think it’s safe to say that each of my little poppies give this book two thumbs up. Here’s what each kiddo had to say:

“I think Pascha sounds awesome! I want to stay up late at church and have a feast!” ~Leo (age 6)

“I loved Catherine’s friend, Elizabeth!” ~ T (age 5)

“I love hot dogs, too!” ~ Seuss (age 3)

So… tell me, folks…. Do you study world religions at home? What are some of your favorite books? I have a few in our line-up but I’d love more recommendations. Please share here!

Also, if you love books as much as we do, be sure to check out our Family Book Club at My Little Poppies. We have a great little Facebook discussion group with oodles of book activities. We also have a great Pinterest board:

Follow My Little Poppies’s board Family Book Club @ My Little Poppies on Pinterest.

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Oh Noooooooooooo! I…missed…Pascha!

~Peter, Catherine’s Pascha

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Disclaimer: I recieved a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

*FTC Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Basically, if you click on these links and make a purchase, I will receive small commission (we’re talking cents, not dollars). I would never endorse a product for a few cents. We recommend what we love here, folks.