The week that led to Easter is significant in the lives of Christians. Children will learn the events of Holy Week, tracing the steps of Christ to the cross that leads to jubilant celebreation as Christ defeats Satan and sin!

First published in 1964, Arch Books captivate children with colorful pictures and creative poems. Each book presents a complete Bible story in a fun-to-read way that children ages 5-9 will understand and remember. Known for their biblical and historical accuracy, Arch Books are accessible, engaging, affordable, and collectible-perfect for assisting teachers and parents as they teach children the Bible and how God works in all aspects of life.

Bartolomé de Las Casas is one of the most controversial figures in the Spanish colonization of America. For some, because of his defense of the natives, he is the apostle to the Indians; for others, because of his denunciation of the excesses of the conquest, he is responsible for the Black Legend that has tarnished Spain for centuries.

This novel by the award-winning Spanish author José Luis Olaizola tells the epic story of this singular man. Using the voice of Las Casas, Olaizola describes the various periods of his life: his boyhood in Seville, his hunt for gold in Hispaniola, and his complacent years as a rich cleric and landowner in Cuba. After turning to Christ for mercy, Father Las Casas relinquishes his wealth and devotes himself to defending the dignity of all men.

Olaizola vividly depicts the colorful, contrasting characteristics of the sixteenth century. He shows how fervent greed and passionate faith brought both colossal injustice and heroic holiness to the West Indies. He makes the conquistadores, friars, courtiers, and kings of the age into a striking mosaic within the frame of historical events.

Tomie dePaola’s glorious paintings are as luminous as the farolitos that light up on the Plaza in Santa Fe for the procession of Las Posadas, the tradition in which Mary and Joseph go from door to door seeking shelter at the inn on Christmas Eve. This year Sister Angie, who is always in charge of the celebration, has to stay home with the flu, and Lupe and Roberto, who are to play Mary and Joseph, get caught in a snowstorm. But a man and a woman no one knows arrive in time to take their place in the procession and then mysteriously disappear at the end before they can be thanked. That night we witness a Christian miracle, for when Sister Angie goes to the cathedral she realizes who saved the Las Posadas procession.

When the great Velázquez was painting his masterpieces at the Spanish court in the seventeenth century, his colors were expertly mixed and his canvases carefully prepared by his slave, Juan de Pareja. In a vibrant novel which depicts both the beauty and the cruelty of the time and place, Elizabeth Borton de Treviño tells the story of Juan, who was born a slave and died an accomplished and respected artist.

Upon the death of his indulgent mistress in Seville, Juan de Pareja was uprooted from the only home he had known and placed in the charge of a vicious gypsy muleteer to be sent north to his mistress's nephew and heir, Diego Velázquez, who recognized at once the intelligence and gentle breeding which were to make Juan his indispensable assistant and companion―and his lifelong friend.

Through Juan's eyes the reader sees Velázquez's delightful family, his working habits and the character of the man, his relations with the shy yet devoted King Philip IV and with his fellow painters, Rubens and Murillo, the climate and customs of Spanish court life. When Velázquez discovers that he and Juan share a love for the art which is his very life, the painter proves his friendship in the most incredible fashion, for in those days it was forbidden by law for slaves to learn or practice the arts. Through the hardships of voyages to Italy, through the illnesses of Velázquez, Juan de Pareja loyally serves until the death of the painter in 1660.

I, Juan de Pareja is the winner of the 1966 Newbery Medal.

This lively volume brings together the best of Tomie dePaola's Art Mail—the charming illustrations of feast days and holidays he sent to family and friends. Each piece is accompanied by short passages about the saint or the occasion it represents. Various Catholic customs practiced throughout the world are also described.

This engaging book is sure to inspire the whole family to celebrate with the Church her special days and seasons through the year.