All about Lent and Holy Week: Book Review

By Jennifer Gregory Miller ( bio - articles - email ) | Feb 25, 2025 | In The Liturgical Year

Ash Wednesday is only nine days away. It feels unusual to not have any days of Lent falling in February, but Easter Sunday can fall in the wide range of dates from March 22 to April 25, meaning Ash Wednesday can be as early as February 4 and as late as March 10. A Lent-free February does happen more frequently than I realize.

Part of my preparation for Lent is culling the books to use during Lent. I choose for my personal reading, but I’m always on the lookout for books for children to add to my atrium and classroom. I’m really excited about the latest title, All About Lent and Holy Week: Sharing the Seasons of Repentance and Salvation with Children by Katherine Bogner and illustrated by Shari Van Vranken, printed by St. Paul Center.

I previously reviewed their All About Advent and Christmas in 2023, and have been eagerly awaiting a Lenten title. The book arrived yesterday, and it does not disappoint. It is a tall hardcover book, with 46 packed pages.

Half the book is dedicated to the Lenten season, covering the symbolism of 40 days; Ash Wednesday; Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving; the themes of Repentance and Conversion and also penance and preparation. The second half goes through Laetare Sunday and Holy Week and the Triduum, including Easter and touching on the Easter season.

The book covers Lent and Holy Week using sources of the Bible, the Liturgy and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To me it is refreshing that the tone is not patronizing; what is presented is solid and meaty, broken down in logical sections. I always love information being presented in a forthright manner, respecting the younger reader/listener and his/her ability to comprehend.

As Easter is part of the Triduum, it is included in the book. The Easter Vigil is covered, as is the Easter season, recognizing that Easter isn’t just a day, but a season of 50 days. I prefer having Lent and Easter paired. So often we “countdown” during Lent, and once we reach Easter, it almost feels forgotten. Lent is the preparation for Easter, but Easter is the greatest feast and liturgical season of the year.

Each page spread includes the main theme of the page, but then there are small quotes and little boxes with further information. The illustrations fill the book and are colorful, realistic, and eye capturing on every page.

I appreciate the reduced sentimentality. Too many older books for children on Lent tend to want to dwell on entering into Christ’s passion and carry that sentiment throughout Lent. Penance is an element of Lent, but Katherine Bogner does a beautiful job in broadening the view (reflecting the Liturgy), recognizing that repentance and conversion doesn’t always need to emote. The “Repentance and Conversion” section is probably my favorite part, because it harkens to the theme of the “Forgiving Father” parable that is introduced in the atrium for Level II in Lent for children preparing for their First Confession.

The book is rich with information, so not a book to just sit down and read straight through like a narrative, but to digest slowly, and take in only a little at a time.

From my experience, the target audience would be older elementary to high school (ages 9-18), but this could be read aloud to younger children. I highly recommend this to add to the Lenten library.