As part of its growing children’s book program, Paraclete Press has signed author Jon M. Sweeney and illustrator Roy DeLeon to a three-book series for children ages 6-9. Both the series and the first book are titled The Pope’s Cat. According to the description, these books “tell the story of a stray born on the Via della Conciliazione in Rome, how she’s adopted by the Pope, and the ways in which she then runs the Vatican from museum to floorboard!” It is unclear if the Pope of this series is Pope Francis but there is definitely a resemblance. The Queen of England also makes an appearance in book one, on an official visit to the Vatican.
The Pope’s Cat (March 2018 / Paraclete Press / ISBN 978-1612616568 / trade paperback / black & white illustrations / $9.99) by Jon M. Sweeney, illustrated by Roy DeLeon, is to be followed six months later by Margaret’s Night Alone in St. Peter’s (A Christmas Story).
“The Pope’s Cat is a heartwarming tale, which gives the papacy a human touch, along with a taste of life in Rome. Jon Sweeney has done an excellent job in opening up the world of the Vatican to youngsters, while cat lovers will be charmed by this story. I read it to my two children and they both loved it!” –Christopher Lamb, Vatican correspondent for The Tablet (UK)
About the author: Jon M. Sweeney’s popular history, The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation, has been optioned by HBO. He’s the author of two dozen other books including The Complete Francis of Assisi, When Saint Francis Saved the Church, winner of a 2015 award in history from the Catholic Press Association, and The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started. This is his first book for children.
About the illustrator: Roy DeLeon is an Oblate of St. Benedict, spiritual director, yoga instructor, graphic designer, and professional visual artist. He is also author of Praying with the Body. This is his first book for children.
For more information, contact Sr. Antonia Cleverly, srantonia@paracletep
