Tag: vocations

On My Bookshelf: Father Drew, What Do You Do?

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Father Drew, What Do You Do?

By Rebecca W. Martin; illustrated by Steliyana Doneva

Publisher: OSV Kids

 

 

 

At this time of year, your diocese is probably about to celebrate priestly ordinations, so now is the perfect time for OSV Kids to launch a new picture book about the daily lives of priests! In Father Drew, What Do You Do?  Rebecca W. Martin, author of Meet Sister Mary Margaret, tells what a parish priest does on a typical day and shows the many ways priests serve God and bring God’s love to the people they encounter. Best of all, it opens the door for young children to start thinking about how they can serve God when they grow up.

 

A Lesson on Vocation, Sacraments, Prayer, and Friendship

In a friendly, approachable tone, the title character introduces himself and explains what a priest does. Steliyana Doneva’s illustrations bring the book to life, showing Father Drew celebrating Mass, preaching a homily, visiting the sick, administering sacraments, and even grocery shopping.

The pages highlighting the sacraments explain the different ways God reaches out to people through each sacrament. The book also mentions that priests pray, both by spending time with Jesus in Adoration and by praying the Liturgy of the Hours (I loved that “you can learn to pray it, too” is emphasized here).

Father Drew is also depicted visiting families at their homes, serving the poor, and enjoying hobbies like cooking or playing musical instruments. Priests from a few religious orders are also mentioned in the book and shown wearing their habits.

Father Drew, What Do You Do?  ends with a prayer for the child to pray, asking God to help them know His will for them; this would be an excellent addition to your family’s morning or bedtime prayer routine. Bonus pages for parents include a note about vocabulary and a brief explanation of why only men can be priests, as well as a beautiful prayer for our children’s vocations (of all kinds). I’d recommend that prayer to every parent of young children!

 

Learning New Words While Learning About Priestly Life

As parents (or teachers, or catechists) read this book with children, they’ll notice that some words are larger and bolder than others. Some of these include ordained, parish, homily, sacraments, and vocation. Those words are explained through context clues and will help children enrich their vocabulary as they learn about the life of a priest.

 

 

Ask for Father Drew, What Do You Do? at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, Our Sunday Visitor.

Copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Photos copyright 2025 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.
This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to me when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!

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Meet Sister Mary Margaret

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It’s never too early to introduce the idea of a religious vocation to your children. And with the dwindling of religious orders and the diminished number of priests being ordained, there’s no time to lose. Books like Meet Sister Mary Margaret by Rebecca W. Martin, illustrated by Christopher Tupa, help parents who might not have much experience with religious sisters to teach their children about this beautiful way of serving God and the Church.

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In this full-color 36-page hardcover picture book, young readers and their parents (or teachers) get to know Sister Mary Margaret, a religious sister who brings them on a tour of a day in her life. The story begins by explaining the three vows religious sisters take—in an age-appropriate way. Readers also learn what a convent is, and how it is both similar to and different from a family home. I loved that in the discussion of the Liturgy of the Hours, Sister Mary Margaret mentions, “You can learn to pray it, too.”

There’s a lovely section about various religious orders and their different apostolates. The book concludes with an invitation to ask God what His plan is for you when you grow up:

What do you think God wants you to be when you grow up? How does he want you to love him and other people? Keep listening to your heart and asking Jesus what great plans he has for you!

This book concludes with two prayers: one for the young reader and an additional pray for parents: “Prayer for My Child’s Vocation.” There’s also an information page for parents that explains some terms used in this book in a little more depth.

This book will be a valuable resource, especially for families who encounter religious sisters only on rare occasions. Snuggle up in your favorite reading chair with your little one and this new book!

Ask for Meet Sister Mary Margaret at your local Catholic bookseller, or order online from Amazon.com or the publisher, OSV Kids.

 

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Copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz

Photos copyright 2023 Barb Szyszkiewicz, all rights reserved.

This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which provide a small compensation to FranciscanMom.com when purchases are made through the links, at no cost to you.