"During Augustine's life, the Roman Empire ruled most of what are now Europe and the Middle East. It was divided into two parts: the Western Roman Empire (with Rome as its capital) and the Eastern Roman Empire (with Constantinople as its capital). Augustine lived in the Western Roman Empire." pg. 7 
 And so begins Simonetta Carr's "Christian Biographies for Young Readers: Augustine of Hippo". I wanted to copy in the first paragraph to give readers an idea of the tone that Carr uses to masterfully draw us into a world that is not our own, and teach us how one man, Augustine, lived out his life of faith. Carr has a writing style that is simple without being condescending, factual without being wooden. 
 So many works presented in the long format picture book style are either poorly written or poorly produced, but Carr's work stands out as well written and beautifully illustrated with both full color drawings and well placed artifacts (For example, a photograph of a sculpture of Cicero is featured when Augustine's reading of his work is discussed). The book has a coffee table feel and even my parents were immediately drawn to both the subject matter of a biography of Augustine, and to the engaging presentation. I had to remind them it is for HOMESCHOOL! They can borrow it when we are done using it for school, but not before! 
 For all Christian families, homeschool or not, "Augustine of Hippo" is a superior resource for teaching students of all ages about the history of faith lived out in previous generations. This is especially important as western civilization has fallen under the delusion that Christianity is not "native" to Africa. Augustine stands out as an example of the rich Christian heritage to be found in Northern Africa before the rise of Islam a couple of hundred years after Augustine's death. This is a book you want to own, and are likely to find your child (or your parents!) reading in their free time! Highly recommended. I will be reviewing all books in this series, and buying them too!