Mary

Who doesn't love Demi's books?  They are beautiful, reverent, extraordinary.

This one tells the story of Mary, the Mother of God.  Each page has a small section, taken from The Book of Mary, the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John (an added bonus:  Jesus' words are in RED, just like in some Bibles!), The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics... the story continues on after Jesus' Resurrection, on through the Pentecost, Mary's Dormition, Assumption and her Coronation, with more selections from Pseudo-Melito.  (If the extra-canonical sources bother you, you may want to click on the links provided in this post for a discussion of them.)  The illustrations are detailed and colorful, always accented with Demi's signature gold.  The Florentine touches are my favorite because Florentine art always manages to strike a chord deep inside me... something about elevating art to the divine.  On both end papers appear a selection of Mary's titles from the Litany of Loreto.

Young Mary of Nazareth

What an absolutely beautiful book!!  Marianna Mayer is one of my favorite authors and this is another winner.  From Anne and Joachim's faith, to Mary's own, and then Joseph's, it is page after page of classic artwork and an invitation to trust in God's plan and providence.  I do have a few quibbles with Mary's story (e.g., that she was in pain on the journey to Bethlehem), but this is a book that we proudly keep on our shelves and read often, especially around Mary's feast days throughout the year.

This book would also be an excellent springboard for a study of religious art.

For a discussion of Marianna Mayer and this book, click here.  For discussion on the birth of Jesus, specifically whether Mary experienced pain or not, click here.  Also a related thread.