Valentine’s Day celebrates love in all its forms. Hearts and gifts of chocolate abound, and the holiday brings some much-needed joy to the doldrums of February. However, in the midst of the celebration, the true story of the Christian martyr St. Valentine gets lost. Your Valentine, written by Anthony DeStefano and illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo, is a lovely new picture book that introduces children to this saint whose name is well-known but whose life is often not.

Who Was St. Valentine?

St. Valentine was a Christian bishop or priest who lived in Rome in the third century. While the details of his life are few, legends about him have been passed down through the centuries. When Roman soldiers weren’t allowed to marry, Valentine married them in secret and was ultimately arrested for doing so. While in prison, he befriended a jailer’s family and interceded to help heal a young girl of her blindness before being martyred.  

An Inspiring Tale

DeStefano and Caparo bring the inspiring tale of St. Valentine, the patron saint of love, marriage, and young people, to life through the meaningful rhyming text and beautiful illustrations. They portray St. Valentine as a bishop who married the Christian soldiers in secret. After he is imprisoned, he becomes friends with a young boy who works in the jail and has a limp. The young boy brings his blind friend Marcella, who happens to be the jailer’s daughter, to Valentine in the hopes that he might be able to heal her. Valentine prays for the girl every day, and after she declares her faith in Jesus, she is able to see. This miracle convinces her father to also convert to Christianity. Shortly before he is to be martyred, he leaves a note for Marcella, urging her to always remember God’s love for her. He signs it “Your Valentine.”  

Your Valentine is ideal for preschool through third grade. It would be a worthwhile addition to a home, Catholic school, or parish library. Reading this story will help children (and adults) appreciate the saint who gave his life for love.

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