Reading Catholic

Reading Catholic and catholic

Nancy Piccione

Meet a Reader: Dr. Ray Ramirez, DVM

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Christsmas_2012_natalie-rachel-mary-elyse-therese (3)How you know me:

I am a veterinarian and owner of Lakeview Vet Clinic in East Peoria. I am also a part-time Lighthouse Catholic Media account manager. My, wife Kelly and I have five daughters, and we are members of St. Monica parish in East Peoria.

Why I love reading:

I must confess–I do a lot of reading for my profession, but until recently, I did not read much about my Catholic faith.

This changed several years ago when I discovered Lighthouse Catholic Media CDs in a parish I was visiting. That has allowed me to discover a wealth of Catholic authors. Since then, upon hearing an inspiring Catholic speaker either in person, on the radio, or on a CD,  I want to learn more about their thoughts and insights on our Catholic faith.

So, I pick up the book.  I can then continue to ‘hear’ their excitement in their books, and this gets me inspired to learn more.

What I’m reading now:  I just finished reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  I am amazed at how relevant this book is since it was written in 1936.  I find it very helpful as I strive not to argue, but to win souls for Christ.  As Venerable Archbishop Sheen said: “Win an argument, lose a soul.”

I am also re-reading Man and woman, He Created Them by Blessed John Paul II.  These are the 126 audiences that Pope John Paul II gave on what is now known as the “Theology of the Body.”  This reflection has greatly improved my understanding of my vocation as a man and husband, and how to view women – not as society wants or propagandizes, but as God does.

I’m also reading Michael Hyatt’s Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.  This is interesting in the way to use the ‘get noticed’ concept and apply this to our faith. I have found myself searching for ‘best practices’ for business and have been very pleasantly surprised at how this can apply to our evangelization efforts as well.

My favorite books:

My favorite book is The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.   I was no used to reading non-medical literature, or even faith books, when I listened to this audiobook back in 2004.  Listening to the author read the book,  opened my eyes to how I should use my gifts in a better way as a leader in my family, in our community, and in our parish.  I was convicted and realized I needed a lot of reshaping of my personal mannerisms and techniques.  This book is a must read or listen for anyone who has to make a decision at home, church or work, in my opinion.

Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West is also another favorite. This book helped me to see our bodies as God intended.  This book is a very easy read and I highly recommend it.

Picture Book Monday: Eric Carle

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The first thought I have when someone says Eric Carle is, “I could go for some pancakes right about now.”

That’s because probably my favorite Eric Carle book is Pancakes, Pancakes!

This book tells the story of a very hungry boy named Jack, who wants some pancakes for breakfast, and his mother sends him to collect the ingredients. Not just from the fridge, but from the farm.

So he collects wheat, then mills it, then collects the milk, eggs, churns the butter, and so forth.

Hungry yet? You will be when you see the creative tissue-paper illustrations, replete with melting butter, jam, and fluffy pancakes flipped on a griddle.

I always crave pancakes after reading this book, and I’m not a big fan of pancakes. And I’m happy for Jack when he finally gets his well-deserved pancakes.

Probably the main reason I like Eric Carle’s picture books is that his art is very soothing. Carle illustrates his books using painted tissue papers that he cuts into different collages.

Many years ago, I bought a Klutz book called, “You Can Make a Collage” by Eric Carle. I see it’s no longer available new. That’s too bad, as while the associated book describes how he makes the tissue paper and his collage illustrations, even better was that the back of the book included 50 or so sheets of printed versions of the painted tissue papers he uses were attached to the book.

Over the years we’ve made many collage prints using those tissue papers.

For a person wanting to do some art in the style of Eric Carle–and I highly recommend you do so if you enjoy Eric Carle–visit the “Creative Projects” page of Eric Carle’s website  for some slideshows describing how he makes his materials, as well as the art. This kind of project would be fun and satisfying for an arts-minded kid (or mom!) to do on his or her own, over the course of a week or so.

Creating the painted tissue paper would be messy, but after that step, this is a pretty low-mess art project, as it just involved cutting and gluing the scraps of tissue to paper.

Other books by Eric Carle:

*The Very Hungry Caterpillar

In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.

One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and pop! out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.

Yes, once again, another book I can recite with my eyes closed because I’ve read it so many times.

Since the The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of the board books that our family was given when I had my first baby, it has seen many, many readings. I’m pretty sure our first copy did not survive a teething (and or hungry?) baby, and so we have another well-worn copy of this fun board board. And true to Eric Carle’s style, it makes me hungry.

Eric Carle is prolific, but two other books that have been especially popular at our house: The Tiny Seed and A House for a Hermit Crab.

I knew that I liked Eric Carle, but was excited to find out that he and his wife created a museum of picture book art makes me even more grateful for him.  I’m already (in my mind, of course) planning a trip to Massachusetts to go to the Carle Museum. Our family has seen several exhibits of picture book art at the Art Institute of Chicago, but an entire museum to explore–wow.

I’ve also had fun exploring Eric Carle’s charming blogspot blog.

Four years ago, on the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Google Doodle was Eric Carle inspired.  Nice.

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Do you have a favorite Eric Carle book?

A Catholic Vision of Hope and Healing for Depression

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Following is my column that appears in this week’s print edition of The Catholic Post.  I invite your feedback here.

One of the perks of writing a monthly column is getting invited to speak occasionally to local groups about books and our Catholic faith.

(I “might” consider getting sometimes recognized at the post office as “that lady who writes about books,” but this is usually when I’m not looking my best, so no counting that. But I digress.)

Giving talks lets me hear from others about their favorite books, as well gives me valuable feedback about what’s popular or resonant here. Several recent encounters left me realizing that reviews touching on mental health issues have been much-needed and welcome.

So this month I’ll focus on several books–primarily one new book–in this area.

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The Catholic Guide to Depression: How the Saints, the Sacraments and Psychiatry Can Help You Break Its Grip and Find Happiness Again by Aaron Kheriaty, MD, with Fr. John Cihak, STD is comprehensive, compassionate and Catholic. I highly recommended it.

The Catholic Guide to Depression is a sensible, well-thought-out book that covers a range of issues and concerns, from medication and lifestyle options; how psychological health can affect one’s spiritual life; therapy’s benefits and limits; and much, much more.

While excellent in every way, this book can seem a bit academic in some stretches, but interested readers should persist, as there is a wealth of powerful stories, strategies, and help offered in its pages.

I’ve written before about how certain topics are best handled by experts rather than those who consider themselves experts because they’ve read some church documents or read up on a particular issue or theological area. Surely mental health constitutes one such topic since there is so much conflicting information floating around in books, on the Internet, or even a tendency from some well-meaning Catholics to strictly “spiritualize” mental health issues.

In The Catholic Guide to Depression, author Dr. Kheriaty is an expert, being both a practicing Catholic and father to five, a psychiatrist and professor at University of California-Urvine, and co-chair in the school’s medical ethics program. He writes both compassionately and authoritatively here.

The end of the book includes a beautiful short section of “prayers in distress” from such saints as St. Benedict Joseph Labre, who suffered from mental illness throughout his life; and an address by Blessed John Paul II on the theme of depression. “

The Catholic Guide to Depression is new, but there are other resources that can be beneficial:

images-16*Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach by Pauline Sister Kathryn J. Hermes, is a often-recommended book, and was reprinted and expanded last year. The most compelling aspect for readers is that Sister Kathryn herself has struggled off and on throughout her life with depression.

As a result, she writes in a loving and knowing way about getting assistance and living out one’s Catholic faith when suffering. Surviving Depression also offers a separately available journal and prayer book.

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*Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s Arise from Darkness: What to Do When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, is a classic work about suffering, grace and the life of faith. Fr. Groeschel writes not just from a spiritual perspective, but from one trained as a counselor, in a meditative and prayerful way about living with the reality of suffering and loss.

*For a much more personal story, consider Beyond Blue, Therese Borchard’s excellent memoir of her struggle with depression and mental health issues. I reviewed the book when it came out several years ago (and you can read that here), and as I shared, it’s well-written and at the same time often hard to read.

Borchard shares low points that include two hospitalizations, dozens of drug combinations, bad physicians, and suicide plans.

So why read this book?  To quote Borchard, “anyone who struggles with anxiety or depression—even in the slightest way—might find a companion in me, some consolation in the incredibly personal details of my story, and a bit of hope to lighten an often dark and lonely path.” For those on “that dark and lonely path”, there is healing and hope.

It’s my sincere hope that one or more of these books can offer that to readers.

Four Perfect Pebbles: A Great Read

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My younger kids and I got the chance to meet and hear Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan speak yesterday at a local Catholic school, and it was very moving.

Marion (along with Lila Perl) is the author of Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story.  When her family came to the United States after the war, she ended up in Peoria, so she has been back here several times for talks since her book was published.

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I heard her speak at our local Barnes & Noble back in 2004, and I was so moved that I bought a copy and had her sign it. My children were all too young to read the book at that time, but a few years later my oldest read it. When I heard she was going to be in Peoria again, I found it on the shelf and had the younger two read (or begin it, in the case of my youngest) it before we heard her speak.

The book of her story of surviving the Bergen-Belson concentration camp and the aftermath of World War II is excellent and well worth reading. But her presentation was unforgettable.

Here is a YouTube video of her story. The presentation we attended was about an hour and half presentation (including wonderful questions from the kids). Here’s one great thing about her presentation (and the book): it was factual. She didn’t shy away from some of the graphic details of living in a concentration camp, but she did not dwell on those details. So even though the presentation was intended for fifth grade on up, even younger kids with longer attention spans could learn from her without being traumatized.

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My tween told Marion that she was most interested in the leg injury Marion describes in the book, since she is still on crutches.

I found her husband, Nathaniel Lazan, to be just charming, and so here is a quick cellphone snap of him from yesterday. He takes wonderful photos of her speaking and accompanies her around the world to share her story and her message.

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Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing one book of fiction about this time period that is great for younger kids to read.

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Number the Stars  is Lois Lowry’s Newberry award-winning story of a young girl in Denmark whose family is involved in hiding and transporting Jews to freedom.  Definitely worth a read; our girls book group read this book several years ago. We had a memorable discussion and activities related to the book.

Picture Book Monday: Five by Margaret Wise Brown

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Picture Book Monday starts today.  I explain about it here.

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Years ago, a friend’s dear young daughter–about two years old at the time– was hospitalized for a life-threatening infection. I went to visit the family in the hospital, and the little girl was just so forlorn, so small on the hospital bed.

So I told her hello, and I asked if she might like a story (and mentally berating myself for not bringing a book as a gift).

She didn’t respond.  So I closed my eyes and began:

In the great green room

There was a telephone

And a red balloon

And a picture of

the cow jumping over the moon

I knew the book by heart–surely I’m not the only parent out there who’s been asked to read a book so many times she can do it cold–and continued.

When I finished, her eyes were big, and they never left me.

“Would you like me to read it again?”

A nod.  And so I did.

The next day, I brought her mom her very own copy of Goodnight Moon, probably Margaret Wise Brown’s best-known and loved book.

If there is a more soothing bedtime story, I’d like to know what it is, so be sure to let me know in the comments.

Here’s what I love about Margaret Wise Brown at her best: she is a poet.  Her words often read like prayers.  There is humor and poignancy in her work.

She died very young and had an interesting and in some ways tragic life. I’ve got her biography, Awakened by the Moon, on hold at the library, and I will update this post after reading that. But regardless of her life, her books stand the test of time and reading aloud.

Most people will be familiar with Goodnight Moon and another of our favorites, The Runaway Bunny.

Our funny family story about The Runaway Bunny is that when I read it to my oldest, a girl, she insisted (as only an oldest, and a toddler–can) that the child bunny was in fact a girl bunny, no matter what the words said.  So that I had to substitute “she” for “he” and “her mother” for “his mother” and so forth throughout.

We stuck with our female runaway bunny until our third was born, and then he (being a strong personality) insisted it was a boy bunny, so back the original.

One of the most moving scenes in the play Wit (not for kids, but made into a beautiful movie with Emma Thompson in the main role of a demanding English professor dying of cancer) is when a visitor, her former mentor, reads her excerpts from The Runaway Bunny.

This may seem depressing, but that scene makes a person realize that The Runaway Bunny would not be a bad book to have read on one’s deathbed.

But I can still think of a better book for that purpose: MWB’s The Important Book, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard.

I almost always get emotional when I read The Important Book, for many reasons. It’s a prayer and a poem both, and Weisgard’s illustrations make it nearly perfect.

The frontspiece begins with a tiny illustration of a open book. On the right-hand side of the tiny open book is an illustration of a cricket. On the left-hand page are the words in cursive:“The important thing about a cricket is that it is black. It chirps, it hops, it jumps, and sings all through the summer night. But the important thing about a cricket is that it is black.”

And the book continues this way, though with full-size illustrations in the rest of the book. What makes—a spoon, an apple, the wind, the grass, a child’s shoe, much more, and finally, you–important.

I was so taken by this book that eventually, I made a “Grandpa and Grandma Important Book” for my in-laws. Each page of this scrapbook was about what made Grandpa or Grandma, their children and grandchildren important, with accompanying photos. (“The important thing about Grandma is that she makes the best chocolate milk.”)

I made it just before my father-in-law passed away, and now that both my in-laws are dead I treasure this “Important Book” as a family heirloom; it’s alongside our copy of The Important Book. And now I wish I had made one for my parents, but that one is in my heart.

Two other MWB books are well worth having. The Golden Egg Book is another nearly perfect bedtime book–perhaps especially during the Easter season–about both friendship, sleepiness, and adorable lifelike bunnies. Lovely illustrations by Leonard Weisgard again.

Finally, Nibble, Nibble: Poems for Children is sweet, and would be worthwhile to consider reading during April, National Poetry Month.

We’ve read many, many other Margaret Wise Brown books at our house, and we own probably half a dozen more book by her, but these are the ones I’d keep no matter what:

Goodnight Moon

The Runaway Bunny

The Important Book

The Golden Egg Book

Nibble, Nibble: Poems for Children

Do you have a favorite Margaret Wise Brown book?

Backlist, and Picture Books

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Several weeks back, Seth Godin had a great reflection, “Building your backlist (and living with it forever” on how each person should pay attention to his or her backlist , and I’ve been pondering it ever since.

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from my Jane Austen bookcase

Here’s what I think: First, I have a considerable “backlist” here on Reading Catholic of book reviews, author interviews and other content. Part of what I’d like to do is organize that a little better so that it’s easy to access, but I need to be proud of that work and say “way to go, me” about it.

But I also realize that I’ve got a great backlist “in my head” of, in particular, book lists of:  (this is only a partial list)

*great picture books for families to own

*great young kid books

*great beginning chapter books

*great audiobooks for family listening

*great young adult novels

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from the C.S. Lewis/Tolkein bookshelves (clearly in need of reorg)

Often, someone will ask me in person or, as happened on Facebook recently, for good suggestions for picture books, or middle-grade novels, or great books for girls, or … And I think, it’s all in my head, but I can’t access it easily.

So the goal here will be to gradually work to get some of these “backlists” out of my head and here for readers to reference, springboard from, and incorporate into their family libraries.

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a tiny portion of the picture book bookcases–also in need of reorg

I’m starting with picture books because I have a ready library at home to share, so for the time being it will be “Picture Book Monday” here on Reading Catholic. I hope you will discover some great picture books and picture book authors. Eventually, I would love to add on other book categories.

I’m acknowledging here the inspiration of the wonderful Cay Gibson, the author of Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Children, as well as “A Picture-Perfect Childhood. Cay blogs at http://cajuncottage.blogspot.com. Both of those are great resources and book lists, and both are available on Amazon.

Many years ago (when my oldest was a pre-schooler, I think) Cay moderated a now-silent yahoo group called “Literature Alive!” One year, Cay organized for us an “author study” of picture book authors, one per week. The prospect of one author per week was almost too much, but I was in heaven getting to discover so many wonderful authors and classic works.

Some were new, some were old favorites, and some were not very interesting to us after all. But every week I would faithfully go to the library with my family (only two little girls at that time) and take out every book by, say, Dr. Seuss.

I’d also give a hand-written list to Miss Glenda, our library’s wonderful inter-library loan person (this was before you could order books from the library on the Internet) various other titles that the yahoo group members would recommend.

And over the course of that year, I discovered picture book authors that our family adored, and we gradually assembled a home library of wonderful books. More importantly, we accumulated wonderful stories and family traditions related to the book.

Come Monday, we shall start with probably my favorite picture book author, Margaret Wise Brown, and feature five of her books. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about some of the books and our family stories, and consider discovering some of these authors and picture books. Most of all, I want to encourage families to make picture books part of your family life.

Do you read picture books at your house?  What are some of your favorites?