White Smoke, Two Gulls, and a Pope

by Katie Warner

Illustrated by Leah Ballard and Cora Potvin

Published by Sophia Institute Press

I previously wrote about the anticipation and joy that I shared with my children while we watched Pope Leo XIV become our new Holy Father. Katie Warner perfectly captured our joy in her new children’s book, White Smoke, Two Gulls, and a Pope. We are huge Katie Warner and Pope Leo fans in our home, and this book was a welcome addition to our collection.

Sweet Rhymes and Lovely Illustrations

Right off the bat, I admired Katie Warner’s creative and sweet rhymes as well as the illustrators’ beautiful pictures. The words are joyful and the colors are bright – perfectly capturing this exciting moment in our Church’s history.

The story begins with the mama and baby seagull that perched by the chimney as we all waited and watched for the white smoke. The story continues by showing the black smoke that first appeared signaling that a pope had not yet been chosen. The seagulls stand by, oblivious of what they are witnessing.  The book then shows us St. Peter’s Basilica, where this momentous occasion is taking place. You can see the Latin writing on the building as well as the huge crowd that gathered that day.

The illustrations then show priests, pilgrims, children, and religious waiting for the white smoke. There is also a page showing some of the cardinals peeking out a window at the vast crowd. Then, the white smoke appears signaling that we have a pope! The seagulls soar on the page, and the crowd cheers.

Prayers and Information About the Conclave

I also love that the book includes a Prayer for the Pope in the beginning. It also has a few pages dedicated to briefly explaining the process of the conclave and giving information about this historical day in 2025. The author explains the tradition and history of the office of the Papacy as well as the reason Pope Leo XIV chose his name. This book captures so much of this historic event perfectly – from the emotions to the details.

Seagulls Will Now Always Remind Me of this Joyful Day

I think that every time I see a seagull I will think of this day, and I don’t mind at all! My older children will certainly also connect seagulls to the 2025 conclave, especially after they read this book. This book will also allow me to share the occasion with my toddlers who will not remember every detail.

What memories do you have of the 2025 conclave? What did you think of the seagulls hanging out by the famous chimney?

You can find White Smoke, Two Gulls, and a Pope at Sophia Institute Press.