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Ann Tompert
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Saint Valentine Hardcover – November 1, 2004

by Ann Tompert (Author), Kestutis Kasparavicius (Illustrator)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
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Every February 14 we exchange cards and flowers as expressions of love. Valentine's Day is among our most popular holidays, But what do the words "Be my valentine" mean? Who was Valentine? We know he lived in third-century Rome, during the reign of Claudius II. We know that he was a Christian priest. But he lived during a period of military anarchy, when many of Rome's records were destroyed. The facts of Valentine's life have been lost to history. What survive, however, are legends. And legends often contain the residue of truth. Ann Tompert beautifully weaves together the most enduing stories of Valentine to create a tapestry of the saint's life, while Kestutis Kasparivicius's illustrations take the reader back to ancient Rome. Together, author and illustrator pierce the historical fog that surrounds Saint Valentine to offer a glimpse of the man whose life remains a mystery.
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  1. Reading age
    5 - 7 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    1 - 2
  5. Dimensions
    8.75 x 0.5 x 11 inches
  6. Publisher
    Boyds Mills Press
  7. Publication date
    November 1, 2004
  8. ISBN-10
    1590781813
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1590781814
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5–Tompert skillfully weaves together fact and legend about this Christian priest who was born in Rome during the third century A.D. Speculating that he may have been a nobleman, doctor, or shopkeeper, she describes how he and his Christian flock performed their religious rituals in secret to avoid persecution. Other legends include how Valentine sent parchment hearts to imprisoned Christians, his unsuccessful attempt to convert Claudius II to Christianity, his ability to restore a Roman army officer's daughter's sight through prayer, and his execution on February 14, circa A.D. 270. This clear telling goes a long way toward explaining who Valentine was and how Roman emperors tried to retain power by controlling religious beliefs. An author's note adds more information. The watercolor illustrations, done in earth tones, help to tell the story and depict Roman clothing and architecture. The human figures are a bit strange, however, with unfocused eyes, and joints, nose tips, and Adam's apples too prominently emphasized with carbuncular-looking circles. Overall, this is a worthy addition that complements Robert Sabuda's Saint Valentine (Atheneum, 1992), which focuses on the story of Valentine curing a blind girl with prayer and salve.–Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Ann Tompert has written many award-winning books for children, including the picture book biographies, Saint Nicholas, Joan of Arc, and Saint Patrick. She lives in Port Huron, Michigan.

Kestutis Kasparavicius has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Ann Tompert's Pied Piper of Peru. In 1993, he was honored as Illustrator of the Year by the Bologna Book Fair. He lives in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boyds Mills Press (November 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590781813
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590781814
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 7 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.75 x 0.5 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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Ann Tompert

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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. George
5.0 out of 5 stars An Eye Opener
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
Although written for children, it is an eye opener for adults as well. Do not merely buy and gift this - read it. It could expand your knowledge of Saint Valentine with a forehead slapping, "I didn't know that!" moment.
2 people found this helpful
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Marlene
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
I used this book in school to teach k-6th graders about St. Valentine. Good book to read aloud. the children liked it and got to hear the history of how Valentines Day came about.
4 people found this helpful
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MJB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
Well written and very interesting! My six year loved it. My four year enjoyed, but was a bit too young. Great book!
2 people found this helpful
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SHIRLEY
5.0 out of 5 stars Great historical book
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
I bought the book for my granddaughter who is studying the saints. She was thrilled with it. So was her teacher.
2 people found this helpful
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Nicki Heskin
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical info for an older child
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2009
This book lists itself at grade 2-5, but I'd say maybe a little older. To be honest, I learned a lot from this book -- and really liked how it presented history to children as something that sometimes requires speculation and a sense of point of view, because sources can be limited. It is very honest about what is fact (very little, really) and what is possible or has become accepted myth or legend.

I honestly didn't notice the illustrations in this one too much, because I was too engrossed in reading the text. I think in addition to the history itself, it provides some great discussion on the study of history itself. It is not shy about discussing religion, so classroom teachers may want to consider if it is appropriate for their students with a careful read first. It does have some advanced concepts in terms of persecution, oppressive government, etc. that make it a bit weighty for younger children. On the other hand, for older children, it can turn a sometimes frivolous holiday of Valentine's Day into a useful social studies tool to look at how this sort of historical situation relates to today's current events in the world.

Great book to dig deeper than Valentine's Day cards and candy hearts.
9 people found this helpful
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Miryam Shoresh
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story, but maybe not for younger children.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2005
This is a wonderful book with 4 - 10 lines of reading in 2 pages of earth tone pictures. I just want to add to what has already been said on this page about this book. While it looks like it is clearly written for 6 year olds and above, there are some things which would make it better written for older children and adults. The concept of the need for good people to be in hiding from an evil government may be too hard for children to handle well. Also, there is repeatedly brought up that these are legends and may not be true. That may also be too difficult for a child's mind to understand well. Otherwise the story is beautiful.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

L. Wyssbrod
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story on the history of Valentine's Day
Reviewed in Germany on March 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
I bought this book to share with my children, ages 6, 8 and 10, to help them understand the origination of St. Valentine's Day. The author struck a nice balance of fact versus legend - and clearly distinguished between the two. Since S. Valentine lived so long ago, very little can be historically proven, other than his death. The author added enough of the legend to the story to make it interesting for the children - and my kids really enjoyed it. I even took the book to work to share with a friend of mine so she could buy it for her children. I highly recommend it.
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