On every page, Jesus's love for us shines through. This is the first time I've held a book where love manifests itself with such force and breadth.
Too often in the past, catechism taught us a law through which we had to decipher love—a difficult task. Now we tend instead to emphasize love and service to others, and God's love, which is their source, no longer holds first place. Jean Vanier's book wants above all to help us understand that Jesus loves us personally. This generous love of Jesus fills every page. In return, He asks for our love.
The harmony between text and illustrations is remarkable. In a restrained style, the expressions—joy, sadness, peace—are rendered so well that we are struck by them at once. The gaze of the lambs, for instance, makes us want to nestle in Jesus's arms with complete trust and surrender; the joy in the faces is so genuine that we immediately understand that Jesus's love brings serenity and joy. A child grasps these things at once. Every character is captivating in what it expresses, and the child can identify with one or another depending on their state of mind: listening, prayer, forgiveness, suffering, welcome, friendship, waiting.
With judicious biblical references, clear and measured text, and expressive illustrations, this book offers us what is essential. We consider it particularly useful for elementary school children, but also valuable for catechesis with young people and adults with mild to moderate intellectual handicap.