Western History Picture Books in 2012-2013 (Years 1070-1300)

I recently posted a review of RC History's Connecting with History Volume Three, which we studied during the 2012-2013 school year, when First Son was in third grade and First Daughter was in kindergarten. Because I have a picture book obsession, I spent way too much time reading through hundreds of picture books (which is probably an exaggeration) from our library and selected about one a week to read to the little ones that matched up with the time period we were studying.

I've noted the books that were recommended by Connecting with History. The majority are ones I found in other ways.

The Marvellous Blue Mouse by Christopher Manson is the tale of a foolish mayor during the time of Charlemagne. His ignorance and greed are put on display for all to see by a marvellous mouse. My children loved this book, laughing out loud at the foolish mayor and practically cheering the good friend of Charlemagne who saves the city.

The Errant Knight by Ann Tompert is recommended in Connecting with History Volume Three, but does not seem to be available from RC History anymore. It is one of my favorite picture books.

The Secret World of Hildegard by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter, is a biography of St. Hildegard. The text is lyrical and the illustrations reflect the visions of the saint. It's a lovely book to share. St. Hildegard did not always fit the mold of a woman of her time, but she was a woman of God who created, shared, and preached. We have a set of CDs of Hildegard's music we played as well.

A Saint and His Lion: The Story of Tekla of Ethiopia by Elaine Murray Stone, illustrated by Cecile Sharratt, is the wonderful tale of St. Tekla of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He demonstrates great compassion, perseverance, and love in following God's call and his ministry.

The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, retells one of the Arthurian legends, the tale of Sir Gareth. If you like Saint George and the Dragon, you'll enjoy this book as well.

The Empty Pot by Demi tells the story of a lone trustworthy child in China who refuses to cheat in an attempt to woo the favor of the Emperor. It is one of my favorite picture books, also available at RC History.


The links above to Amazon are affiliate links. The links to RC History in this post are not affiliate links (though I am an affiliate).