From School Library Journal
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K-Gr 3—This collection of correspondence between children
and Pope Francis is sure to comfort and inspire readers who may
have their own questions for the pontiff. Each spread features
the child's photo, age, and country, along with a copy of their
original letter (with artwork) and a text version. The site
page is dedicated to the pope's transcribed response. The
questions range in tone from political ("How can you settle
conflicts in the world?") to lighter, personal ones ("Did you
like dancing?"). The pope handles the questions with great care
and sensitivity, at times using the child's own drawing to
further expand or demonstrate a point. The candid nature of the
questions add to the value of this book, as readers will be able
to identify with the worries and hopes explored. Back matter
includes a note from Antonio Spadaro (the priest in charge of
delivering the letters to the pope) and a world pinpointing
the locations of the children featured. VERDICT This tender book
is a recommended purchase, especially for those with a large
Catholic population.—Briana Moore, School Library Journal
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Review
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Gathered from more than 250 submissions, 30 letters from children
to Pope Francis are answered in a picture book that feels akin to
sitting in on a series of conversations. The letters,
hand-written and illustrated, are reproduced on left-hand pages,
along with English translations and photos of each child; the
pope's answers appear site. The questions can be
theologically intense ("If God loves us so much... why didn't he
defeat the devil?"), deeply personal (Ivan, a 13-year-old from
China, asks whether his non-Catholic grandher will go to
heaven), or casual and blunt ("You are not very young anymore,"
begins one from Dutch twins Hannes and Lidewij). The answers are
rarely simple, but the pope writes respectfully and honestly,
often invoking larger spiritual and social concepts (questions
about soccer and dancing get answers involving teamwork and joy).
The injustices of the present are often represented, as well: "In
today's world there is so much suffering. And, unfortunately, you
know that firsthand," Francis writes to a Syrian boy, Mohammed.
It's a uniquely candid project that reveals the curiosities,
dreams, and insecurities of contemporary children and offers
comfort and advice from a Catholic perspective. Ages 6–up. (Mar.)
(Publishers Weekly)
The People's Pope shows that he is a down-to-earth man who
understands both religion and children. Left-hand pages show 30
actual letters and hand-drawn pictures from children in Jesuit
institutions around the world, culled from 259 submitted, along
with snaps of the children, their names, ages, and countries,
and the typed English texts of their letters. Right-hand pages,
on paper meant to look like Vatican stationery, bear the pope's
answers, given in an interview with editor her Antonio
Spadaro, many talking about the pictures the children have drawn.
The questions ("these are tough...!") are all over the in
terms of both theology and intimacy. An 8-year-old girl from
Kenya wants to know how Jesus walked on water, a 10-year-old girl
from the Philippines wants to know why parents argue, and Prajla,
6, from Albania wants to know if Francis enjoyed dancing in his
youth. Answering in terms children can understand, Pope Francis
addresses both their questions and the fears and hopes that lie
beneath them. While these questions were likely chosen to present
the pope's vision and stances on many matters of Roman Catholic
faith—dealing with the poor, the afterlife, prayer,
evangelization, mercy (oddly, none address the environment)— that
doesn't mean that his answers to these youngest of his flock are
anything other than important or relevant. As Spadaro writes,
Pope Francis understands that "One must not complicate God,
especially if this complication distances God from the people."
People's Pope indeed. (Religion. 4-12) (Kirkus Reviews)
Francis is not just answering these questions, he is paying
attention to who is asking them, and finding a way to make them
feel seen. (Maria Russo New York Times)
A uniquely candid project that reveals the curiosities, dreams,
and insecurities of contemporary children and offers comfort and
advice from a Catholic perspective. (Publishers Weekly)
Pope Francis is delightfully present in his answers to the
collection of letters written him by children across the world.
(Aleteia.com)
Dear Pope Francis offers a quiet profundity that even
non-believers can get into. (Quartz.com)
Many of the common themes in the children's letters will show
your own kids that we have things in common with people all over
the globe. (Popsugar.com)
Dear Pope Francis is a beautiful collection of questions that the
world, no matter what age, shares. It’s a book that brings the
world together and focuses on faith. There is no book like this
collection. (BeliefNet.com)
Hidden in this deceptively simple book is a great deal of
profound theology, explained simply and directly. (James Martin,
SJ)
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