Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids' questions, pope's answers offer lots to think about.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
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Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
DEAR POPE FRANCIS is a collection of illustrated letters from children around the world -- including Syria, Kenya, Peru, China, and the U.S.A. -- and the pope's answers to their questions, from the theological to the everyday. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, and Jesuit institutions in 26 countries solicited children's letters for this project and collected 259. Of those, Jesuit priest Antonio Spadaro, director of the Rome magazine La Civilta Cattolica, presented 30 to the pope. According to a note at the back, the two men spent an hour and a half together, with the pontiff thoughtfully considering and answering each question and Spadaro recording his responses. Spadaro then transcribed what the pope said for the book. The pope often comments on the colorful drawings in the letters, noticing telling details about the kids' lives. The book's cover illustration is from a letter sent by a 9-year-old girl in Belgium.
Is It Any Good?
This warm and charming collection of kids' letters and the pope's simple but meaningful responses help the pontiff seem more human and God more accessible. The children ask all kinds of questions, from practical to profound ("What did God do before the world was made?" "Our deceased relatives, can they see us from heaven?" "How can God hear us?") and the pope's responses are gentle, direct, reassuring, encouraging, and humble. With a light touch and impish humor, he also reveals things about himself, including that he really likes soccer and played it ("but I don't have a nimble foot"), that "as a young man, I liked to dance the tango," and that as a child he wanted to be a butcher when he grew up. The tone of his responses is that of a friendly, compassionate uncle, not some pompous high official or strict cleric.
While many questions and answers will resonate with curious children and Christians of various stripes, a Catholic perspective colors the endeavor, with references to catechism, mass, first communion, and the stigmata. The overall themes are fairly universal, but some of the vocabulary and specifics will have more appeal and familiarity for Catholics.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how they think of God. Is your view similar to the pope's? How is it different or the same?
How do you like the book's form of kids' questions and the pope's answers? Does seeing the kids' handwriting in a variety of languages along with the pictures they drew make them seem more real to you than if their questions were simply typed?
How do you like the pictures the kids drew? How do their lives, homes, and countries look different from or the same as yours?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Loyola Press
- Publication date : March 1, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 15
- Number of pages : 76
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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