(LifeSiteNews) — “St. Francis Xavier traveled a lot. Close to home, St. Juan Diego did not. At home or away, you can be a saint.”

Patrick O’Hearn, a Catholic author, speaker, and literary consultant, penned these words in his latest book about the saints – a board book for little ones called Saints Come in All Shapes and Sizes. This sweet book uses opposites and rhymes to teach young children about some very special saints, examining how though we are all different, we can all achieve holiness. As Patrick explained, this book “helps our little ones realize they’re called to be saints” and that “God made them perfectly as a boy or a girl.”

Saints Come in All Shapes and Sizes is his latest in a series of incredible books for kids of all ages that help build a foundation of faith that will lead them closer to Christ’s merciful and loving Heart. Patrick explained that he began writing children’s books to combat the culture and to provide “really solid Catholic books to help get kids to heaven.”

This just-released book not only fosters our Catholic faith and explains our dignity as humans, but it introduces kids to their friends in heaven – friends who will watch over them as they grow, friends who will advocate for them, and friends who will guide them along life’s journey. These are the lessons we are called to teach as parents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that “parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” and that “the home is well suited for education in the virtues.”

If we hope to create a culture in which our children see the value in all people, we must teach them these lessons from the time they are small. It’s much easier to build a foundation than it is to later tear down the dilapidated building and the cracked foundation and start anew. That is what happens when we leave our children to fend for themselves or fail to guide them in the faith.

As parents, it is our responsibility to fill the minds and hearts of our children with the love in God’s heart and with stories of people who truly care about their souls. Those people include the saints in heaven.

Patrick understands this, and he now uses his storytelling talents to shine the light and love of Christ through his books, for, as he says, he wants to “help families grow in holiness.”

With a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Ambrose University and a master’s in education from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Patrick discerned his calling as a husband and father and soon found a way to use his talents to educate not only his own children, but all children, in the faith. Patrick shared that he feels that he has more friends in heaven than on earth, and he wants kids to make friends with the saints as well.

As Patrick explained, “The saints show us how to say yes to Jesus in difficult circumstances” and we can “look to the saints as the ones who chose life.”

His books help guide children of all ages as they grow and learn more about the heart of God.

For example, after laying the foundation with Saints Come in All Shapes and Sizes, parents can use Patrick’s books to introduce the love and Heart of Mary, which explains what saddens Her and makes Her happy. They can then dive into a devotional about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in which they learn what pleases God and what hurts His heart. Patrick said that this book in particular helps kids understand that sins hurt God’s heart, and it teaches that all life, especially preborn life, is sacred. The end of the book even contains a prayer by Cardinal Raymond Burke asking Our Lady of Guadalupe for the protection of preborn children and the end to abortion.

Patrick understands that, when we teach children in an age-appropriate way that all life – including the preborn baby – is sacred, they will be more likely to adhere to these values as they grow.

Nurturing these values is critical, especially as kids enter their preteen and teen years, and they can continue to grow with a book about the virtues that Patrick coauthored with Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC. And then as they begin thinking about a potential spouse, kids can look to how the saints met their spouses.

As Patrick said, “The saints are our greatest friends and they want to help us get to heaven,” so parents must “cultivate in their children a great love for them.”

But Patrick’s life-affirming books aren’t only for children, as we know that the saints are here to help everyone, especially those who are grieving. He has written several that help form and strengthen the faith of adults and that offer the consolation of the saints during times of tragedy and sadness, especially for couples suffering after miscarriage and even fathers who have lost a child, as he explained that fathers who have lost children “are the most forgotten people.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that saints “fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness… They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.”

By praying for us and by guiding us with their example and their prayers, the saints lead us to more deeply know God’s Heart and to grow closer to Him. It is only when we come to understand His heart that we can become more saintlike and achieve our own place in heaven.

Patrick encourages parents to “introduce their children to the saints as their best friends” for they “help build a culture of life because the saints were the most pro-life people, and when they see their examples, they will want to follow them.”

These lessons and examples all start at home, with parents who use tools such as faith-filled books to teach children that saints truly do come in all shapes and sizes. When we take time to introduce our children to people who dedicated their lives to God, who helped reveal the Heart of our Lord, and who now point us toward Him, we can live in the hope that we too are creating future saints.

Susan Ciancio is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has worked as a writer and editor since 2003; more than 16 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine – the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the director and executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program – a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization.