“Take It To The Queen: A Tale of Hope”
by Josephine Nobisso. Illustrated by Katalin Szegedi.
Gingerbread House, Westhampton Beach, N.Y., 2008, 32 pages, Grades 3-5
As the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary tells us, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is the Queen of Heaven and Earth.
The Blessed Mother’s role in the Church is quite distinct. St. Luke tells us one of the reasons for this in Chapter 2: 34-35. At the Purification of Jesus in the Temple, the holy man, Simeon, blesses St. Joseph and Mary and tells Her that “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against and a sword will pierce through you own soul also that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” So the thoughts of many will be revealed through the Blessed Mother’s pierced heart. This makes the mission of Our Lady different from everyone else.
Josephine Nobisso draws upon these images in her beautiful picture book, “Take It To The Queen: A Tale of Hope.” In this finely detailed book, we see people asking the Queen for assistance in their troubles. They have become so lost through sin and selfishness that they do not know how to approach God. But they still remember the love of a Mother. These supplications to Mary make up this story.
The people of the village have been given many earthly blessings by the king. He has promised to marry the finest young woman in the village and have a son capable of ruling the kingdom with justice, love and mercy.
One young woman, filled with generosity and kindness, has a vision of herself marrying the king and having a marvelously gifted son. Leaving her home, the young woman marries the King in his faraway city. Joyously, the new Queen later gives birth to the baby prince. Her life is now filled with acts of charity, love and maternal concern.
Eventually, the King asks the Queen to take the prince back to her homeland. But in the intervening years, the people of the village have begun living lives of selfishness and sin. When they see the Prince, they attack and beat him. The Queen holds her broken son as her heart breaks. With the savage rejection of the Prince, the village sinks deeper into depravity.
Finally, some of the people remember the King’s goodness. But their sinfulness and the King’s greatness leaves them not knowing how to approach the King. Finally one of them remembers, the Queen has always tried to help them. Why don’t we take it to the Queen?
What happens to the villagers? The King has always listened to their requests but their sinfulness now makes them feel unworthy to ask the King. They need a mother’s hand to guide them. They decide to ask the Queen to take their petitions to the King. What finally happens?
Josephine Nobisso draws an inspiring account of the role of Mary in the relationship between God and humanity. She does not portray God the Father in a fearful manner and being unwilling to help the people. But she does show that sometimes people get so confused that they need the help of a mother to find their way back to God.
This is a beautifully written account of that process. It is best shared between adults and children or in a classroom setting due to the detailed artwork.
Readers will share in Mary’s maternal love for Her children in this book. You will likely have to order this book at a bookstore or online. I hope you get a chance to read it. It is a superb story.
