Vibrant illustrations by Kati Teague combine with Joanna Bogle's text to show how, as a young boy, Karol Wojtila experienced great sadness within his family life. How, later, he was forced to live through Nazi occupation of his native Poland, which was replaced by Communist rule. Despite (or perhaps because of) all of this, he fulfilled God's call to become a priest, and was ordianed in 1946. The Church quickly recognised the gifts God had given this extraordinary priest; he was appointed Archbishop of Krakow and later made a Cardinal. In 1978 he was elected pope - the first Polish pope in the history of the Church.

The book goes on to show how Pope John Paul II travelled the world, encouraging Catholics to live their faith in ways they never thought possible. How, from his life of prayer, he gave the Church an additional way of meditating with the rosary, by providing it with the Mysteries of Light. How he raised many of the faithful to the rank of Blessed and Sainthood, including Sr Faustina, whose encounters with Christ gave the Church the devotion to the Divine Mercy.

Joanna and Kati also show how Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt on his life, but could not fail to suffer the effects of age and human frailty. As his life drew to an end, the world's media followed the last days of his mortal life, reporting on how thousands from around the world gathered in St Peter's Square to pray from him as he passed from this world to the next.

The book concludes with the joyful celebration of his Beatification on 1st May 2011.

A short question and answer section is included at the end of the book to test the reader's understanding of the life of this great man.

Joanna Bogle is a professional journalist, author and broadcaster living in London.
Kati Teague is a freelance illustrator who has done much work in illustrating Catholic educational material.