Embark with your child on a 'Catholic Sacraments Adventure'

By Sarah Robsdottir, OSV News

I recently had a chance to preview Voyage Publishing's newest hardcover book for young readers -- "Seek and You Will Find: A Catholic Sacraments Adventure" -- and I'm thrilled to say I've found my new, much-needed, "go-to" baptism and first Holy Communion gift for all the little people in my life.

Unlike many traditional kids' books on the seven sacraments, this one grabbed my attention right away. My 6-year-old was sold on it too. He sat on my lap, pointing at all the illustrations, and reading the short captions aloud.

I found myself thinking, "What an awesome book on the faith! It feels like we're reading a fun comic book!" That's because it is a fun comic book -- Voyage Publishing makes Catholic comics and uses many mainstream artists to produce their top-notch body of work.

"Sacraments are signs that we can see that give us grace," one of the first captions reads. "Grace is the gift of God's life. They help our hearts grow in love."

And even though I've been a Catholic for almost two decades, I read that part twice.

Because this is the kind of book that you read to a young child and walk away having learned something or been reminded of some important reality of the faith yourself.

I also love the fact that all races are represented beautifully in this book -- my white, Black, Hispanic and Asian friends will see themselves as they turn the pages.

Above all, "Seek and You Will Find" is super approachable and fun to read. My 6-year-old (who is a "beginning-level reader") regularly picks this one out for story time. I've also caught him studying the pages on his own, then asking me questions afterward like, "What's this special oil called?" and "When do I get to receive my first Holy Communion?" That moment brought tears to my eyes and made me ever grateful for a book on the sacraments geared precisely for kids his age.

"Seek and You Will Find" was written by a devoted mother. Kristina Schoh is also a former Miss Wisconsin and an accomplished Catholic speaker. This, her debut kid's book, is the first title released under Voyage Publishing's new imprint Little Voyagers. Their newsletter describes the goal for this imprint as "helping parents and educators foster the imagination of young children so they discover truth, beauty and goodness."

Msgr. Delbert J. Malin from the Diocese of La Crosse weighed in on "Seek and You Will Find" recently -- "[This] book promises to help [young children] become more curious and more aware of what is going on around them at Mass as they learn about Jesus."

I couldn't agree more!