A worthy cultural treasury with appeal to both the faithful and irreligious.
Following her Treasury of Egyptian Mythology (2013) and Tales From the Arabian Nights (2016), Napoli brings her literary eye to a yet another ancient tradition.
Napoli opens with ebullient prose in her retelling of Creation with a “wondrous beginning” and “crystalline start” leading to an Earth that is “lush” and “fragrant,” standing in pointed contrast to the sparse simplicity of the source material found in Genesis 1. Continuing onward she spends the first half of the treasury covering stories from just the first two books of the Torah, retelling the ubiquitous tale of Noah and the establishment of Jewish identity. As the Children of Israel reach the promised land, the treasury begins to diverge from a strict chronology, and succeeding entries follow the order of the Jewish canon, introducing the Nevi’im with David, Goliath, and later Jonah, then on to the Ketuvim, in which such women as Ruth and Esther shine. Title notwithstanding, this collection does not include the Christian New Testament. Balit’s bold illustrations accompany each tale and feature a diversity of skin tones that reflects the many lands from northeast Africa to the Middle East where the drama unfolds; Adam and Eve appear to be sub-Saharan Africans, echoing current thinking on human origins. Sidebars throughout add historical and scientific context to the stories presented while backmatter includes maps, timelines, and brief biographies of the major players.
A worthy cultural treasury with appeal to both the faithful and irreligious. (Religion. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4263-3538-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world.
This wide-ranging collection of short biographies highlights 36 Jewish figures from around the globe and across centuries.
Explicitly pushing back against homogenous depictions of Jewish people, the authors demonstrate the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of Jews. Each spread includes a brief biography paired with a stylized portrait reminiscent of those in Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo’s Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (2016). A pull quote or sidebar accompanies each subject; sidebars include “Highlighting Jewish Paralympic Athletes,” “Jewish Stringed Music,” and “Ethiopian Jews in Israel.” Kleinrock and Pritchard’s roster of subjects makes a compelling case for the vastness and variety of Jewish experience—from a contemporary Ethiopian American teen to a 16th-century Portuguese philanthropist—while still allowing them to acknowledge better-known figures. The entry on Raquel Montoya-Lewis, an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court and an enrolled member of the Pueblo Isleta Indian tribe, discusses her mission to reimagine criminal justice for Indigenous people; the sidebar name-checks Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. The bios are organized around themes of Jewish principles such as Pikuach Nefesh (translated from the Hebrew as “to save a life”) and Adam Yachid (translated as the “unique value of every person”); each section includes an introduction to an organization that centers diverse Jewish experiences.
A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world. (resources) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780063285712
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Good supplementary material to increase the holiday’s meaning and currency for older children.
An overview of the holiday of Passover is elaborated with personal narratives, the story’s connection to the Holocaust, and various Seder customs practiced in several countries around the world.
A Canadian author and child of Holocaust survivors, Polak introduces the topic through her own personal account of a secular Jewish upbringing in Montreal. She focuses on how her research on and interest in the Holocaust brought her full circle to hosting her first Seder. The first chapter is devoted to the traditional Haggada, the book used to recount the ancient story, which includes the various rituals performed at the ceremonial meal. She introduces Ben, a Lithuanian survivor, and his version of his family’s Passover observance before World War II. From here Polak clearly connects the biblical story of oppression, escape, and freedom to the Holocaust while segueing into modern-day observance and traditions. Two concluding chapters outline the Jewish community’s charitable commitment to providing food baskets and support for the needy as well as the diversity of multicultural traditions for the holiday as celebrated in not only Israel, but in some Asian, European, and African countries. A plethora of photographs, informational sidebars, drawings, and recipes break up the substantial yet enlightening text.
Good supplementary material to increase the holiday’s meaning and currency for older children. (glossary, index, references) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4598-0990-1
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
