Mother Teresa's Alms Bowl (Stories of Great People)

Although the Stories of Great People series features a cast of recurring, fictional characters, the books come by their nonfiction cataloguing honestly, packing information into both the frame story and the sidebars. Responding to questions from two children about an alms bowl purported to belong to Mother Teresa, a jumble-shop owner describes how the nun came to establish her own order in India, to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and, after her death, to be considered for sainthood. Although the fictional passages feature sprightly illustrations, the equally prominent sidebars buttress the facts with archival images and photos, primarily of the nun at an advanced age. There are some unclear references (among them, one to the vow of chastity), and children moved by this profile’s numerous memorable moments, including many quotations (“I am like a little pencil in God’s hand”), won’t find any documentation or maps.