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Just in time for Christmas, St. Joseph�s Press has released a coloring book featuring historically accurate illustrations of women saints � all illustrated by Dominique Shema (�07).

Yet is not, as its subtitle indicates, merely a coloring book. Accompanying Miss Shema�s finely detailed line drawings are essays about each of the depicted saints. The work thus serves as a combination of creative outlet, spiritual reading, and catechetical tool for artists of all ages.

�I love history, especially all the little details that let you imagine what it would have been like to live back then,� Miss Shema explains. So the author researched each saint extensively in order to make sure that her drawing would be as authentic as possible. �For example,� she notes, �the ship in St. Margaret of Scotland�s picture is inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Battle of Hastings, an important event in St. Margaret�s life. The herbs in St. Gertrude�s garden at Nivelles are herbs that would commonly have been grown in a medieval monastery garden. For many of the pictures, I went a step further and drew the whole thing in whatever art style was current at the time.�

Heavenly Crown: Coloring Book and Lives of the Saints is available via the St. Joseph�s press website.