The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane

Winner of the 2011 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award.

In a monastery in the mountains of Mourne during the Middle Ages, one young monk struggled to focus on his task: copying the Bible and other scholarly books with plain brown ink made from wood bark in plain brown books in his plain brown robe at his plain brown desk. Brother Theophane was soon transferred from the scribe's room and assigned to make the ink that the brothers used. With his natural curiosity, Theophane discovered that inks could be made from other plants besides the wood bark. Berries and leaves produced other beautiful colors. And soon, the books the monks made were illuminated with colors and drawings.

C.M. Millen's charming story of a young monk who defied the discipline of the monastery and found his own way to express the beauty of the world will inspire young readers to explore their own world and find their own voices.

Andrea Wisnewski's illustrations, inspired by the illuminated letters that the medieval monks created in books like the Book of Kells, bring to life the colors and beauty that surrounded Brother Theophane amidst the plain world of the monastery.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Published: 07/01/2010
ISBN: 9781580891790
Pages: 32
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 11.36h x 9.10w x 0.41d
Award: Connecticut Book Awards - Winner

Review Citations: Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2011 pg. 39
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2010
Publishers Weekly 07/05/2010
Booklist 07/01/2010 pg. 60
School Library Journal 08/01/2010 pg. 81

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 139149 / Ink Garden of Brother Theophane
Reading Level: 6 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5