By Josephine Nobisso
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
Beauty and Substance,
This review is from: The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith (Hardcover)
Exquisitely written and illustrated, "The Weight of a Mass" is a rare gem of a book that will be appreciated by all ages and even all faiths, because though the theme is Christian, it speaks of the importance of God in our lives, and the triumph of faith over secularism. The story is based on an event that is said to have occurred in a Luxembourg butcher shop a few generations ago. In this telling it is placed in a bakery, as Jesus our Lord is the Bread of Life, and there are many other symbolic aspects to the tale, which increase our interest, and add freshness to the story every time we read it.
Josephine Nobisso, the author of many books and winner of numerous awards, writes in a lucid style with a rich and varied vocabulary. Not only will this lovely book bolster your child's faith, it will also increase his knowledge and usage of the English language, something that is hard to find these days, and it is one of the many reasons to own this book. Katalin Szegedi began her career as an illustrator in her native Hungary in 1991, and her art that accompanies this story is marvelous in its expressiveness and technical skill. There is a grace and sense of movement in the figures, intricate patterns in the clothing, and terrific perspective and detailing in the architectural structures. The subtle colors are also beautifully balanced and contrasted. I especially like the depiction of the baker's son, who has a lively sweetness in his eyes and mouth, and a lovable innocence. "The Weight of a Mass" has won several awards, and it will touch your heart and lift your spirit. The quality of the book is excellent, with thick semi-gloss paper and sturdy construction for both the hardcover and paperback editions. Inspired and full of beauty, "The Weight of a Mass" is a worthy book choice for the children in your life.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Good, Beautiful and True,
This review is from: The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith (Hardcover)
Beautifully written and illustrated, "The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith" is a great story based on an existing legend. It is set in the style of a fairy tale to communicate the great teaching of the Catholic Church regarding the ultimate importance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass above all earthly things.
The story takes place mostly in a bakery shop where the people of the kingdom seem to prefer to spend their time rather than at church, we are told. The shop owner arrogantly argues with an old beggar woman that her offer to hear Mass for him if he were to give her a small piece of bread is of no value. His lack of faith becomes the occasion for a miracle in which a small piece of paper bearing the words "One Mass" is shown to outweigh all the items in his bakery. These items, representing the natural goods of this earth, are not able to even lower the scale one bit. The response to the miracle is for the people of the kingdom, including the repentant shop owner, to rush out to attend the royal wedding Mass. The king and queen, of which very little is said, can be seen as an analogy of Christ and his Bride, the Holy Church. The desire of both is not so much to have people admire the grandiose royal wedding cake, but to join their hearts in the celebration of the Wedding Mass. This is a very effective book for teaching kids and reminding adults of the surpassing value of the Mass and God's love for us. I was worried that my 3-year son, obsessed with Bob the Builder and the Veggietales would not appreciate the story, but he likes it very much and requests it at bedtime frequently. Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Every catholic family needs this book!,
This review is from: The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith (Hardcover)
This is a really special book, one that helps teach children the value of attending mass. How often have you found yourself trying to convince your children how important it is to go to mass? Well, this beautiful book will help you share your faith and love of the mass. The story has a lovely fairy tale quality to it. The illustrations alone are just beautiful. Together the story and pictures are perfect. It is deep and ernest and loving. It is appropriate for any age. There is never a moment of heavy handedness. It is like reading any other fairytale, but there is so much more depth to it.
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