Review by Booklist Review
The gifts of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179 CE) are not easily translatable into a book for young children. She was a theologian, visionary, poet, and scientist and was renowned for her chants. This picture book serves as a good introduction by bringing the phenomenon down to a child's level: Hildegard's gift was this: When she closed her eyes she saw pictures . . . she heard music . . . she wrote poems, songs, and stories. But this was not a gift without strings attached. Hildegard had headaches and was often tired, and while she was a nun, she was overpowered by all that she was experiencing and became incapacitated. A helpful visit from the monk Bernard of Clairvaux reminded her that her writings and music were her gifts to the world. The accessible text is highlighted by lines from Hildegard's writings, most of which will be understood by the target audience. Child-friendly line-and-watercolor artwork brings Hildegard's stories close. The last spread, which directly addresses readers and listeners, is bumpy, but it gets across the story's message about each person having an individual gift.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Author of children's books and screenplays, Hoyt offers young readers a glimpse into the life of Hildegard of Bingen in the newest in a series of picture books about saints. The text is enlivened by former portrait artist Hill's bright and whimsical illustrations depicting Hildegard's imaginative life. As a young child, Hildegard discovers her gifts-writing, painting and singing. She finds great joy in sharing her gifts with others, but suffers under the strain they bring. With tutelage from a nun, Jutta, and a monk, Volmar, she learns to read and write Latin and to produce plays. After a while, exhausted by the constant work, she becomes seriously ill. A visit from the monk Bernard of Clairvaux restores Hildegard's health. She then finds that her gift has grown even stronger and spends the rest of her life sharing her work with the world. Hoyt believes that every child has a gift, and her book serves as a prompt to talk with children about how to discover their own. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
