The Story of Saint John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope

Wonderfully illustrated and very informative book about a great saint.The only downside is that it's possibly TOO much information: it's a bit of a struggle to tie it all together into a cohesive narrative for a child to follow. At some points, background knowledge might be needed, such as understanding both the Nazi and communist occupations of Poland. Reading with an adult who can fill in the blanks could help a child in understanding the significance of this man's amazing life.Overall it's a great book for slightly older children to appreciate the life of JPII. Can't fail to mention the beautiful illustrations, too.

My six children love this book. The Disney-esque illustrations draw them in immediately and the story is beautiful without being overly preachy. It's a truly touching memento to a wonderful saint pope!

I was searching for good books on popes that my students recognize and decided to buy this one. I read it with my students and was in tears. My students were in love with the book and the story is so inspiring. The illustrations are amazing! Highly recommend buying this for yourself or someone you know!

Beautiful illustrations and excellent storytelling in this work. You can teach a child so much about virtue, life, loss, faith, and love in this one book.

I cry every time I read this book. And a great complement to the other children’s book written about him.

Amazing illustrations and a great artist to support. I was however, let down by the way the story was told. The book ends with Karol's Papal Election, and I was dying to read more about his life as Pope! The story is quite gritty for a child (a few deaths, mentions of Nazis). Of course, this is accurate to history, but I found I had a hard time actually gifting this to the child it was intended for. I would love to see a "Part Two", and will likely order this for other children.

My grandson liked it and finished it in one sitting.

I love everything John Paul II. I wish it was more “kid friendly” with the length. Other than that it was great!

Fantastic book, lovely pictures, worth buying

I wish the review didn't say "I love it." You can't love an inanimate object. But the story is great.