The Monks' Stormy Night

I read the first book in this series 4 years ago, The Monk’s Daily Bread, and never got around to reviewing it. I plan to go back and read it again just for that purpose. Then last in 2020 I read The Monks Make Amends, and I loved it as did my youngest daughter, my son. It has the family seal of approval from 10 years to 50 years of age. The day this one arrived my youngest read it to us twice. She read it to me and then to her 13 year old brother. And then she read it to a friend over the phone describing the pictures. I stated before that these books remind me of Tales of a Magic Monastery by Theophane the Monk and also The Case of the Haunted Chapel by Karen Kelly Boyce and Sue Anderson Gioulis Sisters of the Last Straw Book 1 but geared for younger readers. The description of this book is: “The monks of Archangel Monastery are prepared for a hard winter. But look out, monks! A bad winter storm is coming! This beautifully-illustrated book will be enjoyed by children and their caregivers for its humorous pictures, for fun rhymes reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, and for the heartfelt message of sincere trust in the Lord's providence.” This time a big story is headed to the monastery that is guided and lead by Father Abbot. Father Abbot leads by example. He is the one pitching in and starting all the work. The monks face many issues during the story, no heat, no electricity, a flood. But they also learn that God is in control, and always provides a way. The book has a great lesson. And serves as a reminder to always trust in God. The book ends with a verse for the kids to memorize and my daughter realized that it was a different verse than last time. Again, the illustrations are wonderful. And the winter scenes are my favorites so far in the series. It is a fun story. All three of us give it a solid 5/5 stars. We plan to go back and reread the first book, The Monk’s Daily Bread, and really hope that there will be more stories with these monks. A great picture book in a wonderful series.

Stormy nights will happen, but through faith and trust we can get through them, learn patience and offer up our afflictions as a sacrifice to God. The heart of our faith is beautifully expressed in these engaging story-poems. I especially like the inclusion of a memory verse at the end

This is the second of the books about Archangel Monastery. It is written in the same simple rhyme as the first, with the same simple illustrations. This book was the most requested from our granddaughter, and some of the phrases stuck in my head still make me laugh. The monks begin with not a care in the world. Then one catastrophe after another happens. Father Abbot encourages the monks to remember that God is with them through it all.

This simple story of a group of religious brothers surviving a stormy night with a broken furnace, flooded basement, and other such maladies, is an engaging lesson for children in trusting God and finding Him close in times of trouble. It is a simple story with a profound message. We enjoy the colorful illustrations and rhythmic verse.

My kids loved the rhyming and cadence in this cute book. We will definitely be reading it again.

I truly recommend this book for small children who like to see illustrations for what is read to them. The writing of this book is catchy because it is written in rhymes. Its short and yet it has the lessons of several virtues that children will enjoy learning about . I found it amusing , colorful and enjoyable. The size is perfect for small hands and the colorful illustrations will keep the child entertained and an older child will enjoy it just as well. Also, the fact that it is part of a series makes it even more appealing .

I have 5 kids ages 2-11 and they all enjoy this book. My readers will read it to themselves and my non-readers ask to have it read to them often. We also have the first book in the series and they enjoy it as well. Its a wonderful message told with an easy to read rhyme. I also like the Bible verse at the end that can be memorized and pertains to the lesson in the story.