About the new children's book - The Hermit, The Icon and The Emperor: The Holy Virgin Comes to Cyprus

By Chrissi Hart, Illustrated by Niko Chocheli.  LONG AGO ON THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS, a cuckoo sang a mysterious and prophetic song that started a series of troubling adventures. A hermit had a vision, a p roud and selfish governor was stricken with paralysis, and a princess lay dying. All these events were part of a plan-God's plan-to bring the very first icon of the mother of God, painted by the Evangelist Luke himself, from the emperor's palace in Constantinople to a new home in Cyprus. The richly detailed, jewel-toned illustrations by acclaimed artist Niko Chocheli and the engaging text bring this true story to life for contemporary readers of all ages.     "In this visually captivating book, (the story of the icon of Kykkos) is told in a way that will enchant children. Opening a world of splendor and heartfelt feeling to them that will surely arouse their curiosity about Byzantium, the book prompts them at the same time to ponder the deep design that underlies the dramas and traumas of the characters, drawing them together with the icon into a luminous web of divine intention." -Annemarie Weyl Carr, Professor of Art HIstory Emerita at Southern Methodist University.