Life of Jesus: An Illustrated Rosary

Ever since the Middle Ages, countless Christians have prayed the rosary as a way to focus on the story of salvation. This centuries-old text that highlights the joy, sorrow, and glory of the story of Jesus is here given new life through the work of artist Mary Billingsley.

In Mary's paintings, religious symbols and everyday objects mingle to create scenes from the life of Christ, scenes that offer the viewer a sense of the divine present in earthly form.

Readers of all ages will return to this book again and again, each time discovering within its pages fresh layers of beauty and meaning.


REVIEWS
Publishers Weekly
"Artist and children's book newcomer Billingsley provides an introduction to the rosary in an accessible volume. Outlining the basic procedure for praying the rosary, an opening illustration depicts a set of beads labeled to indicate which prayer each represents; the full text of each prayer appears on the facing page. Billingsley offers brief, plainspoken meditations for each of the 20 mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and the recently added Luminous); her Scripture-inspired words appear between the names of the prayers, forming a sort of vertical, visual chain of text on each page. Billingsley's folk art–style illustrations are two-dimensional renderings of multimedia, still-life structures she has created from found objects (nutcrackers, wooden artists' figures, and rag dolls make appearances). The artwork alternately recalls altars, shrines, or marionette stages, and focuses on such events as the Nativity, the Marriage at Cana, and the Crucifixion. Billingsley's text and art create a surprising and enlightening modern juxtaposition to this very traditional practice."