DAUGHTERS OF EVE

Ross strives to re-tell the stories of some of the women of the Bible (the Old Testament, for Christians) in an accessible voice. Each of the nine chapters begins with a brief introduction setting the stage for the story, and then each focuses on a particular woman. Miriam figures twice, as sister to the baby Moses and to Moses the leader; Moses’s wife Zipporah, the five daughters of Zelophehad, Ruth, Abigail, Huldah, Judith, and Esther are included. There’s much dialogue, which occasionally falters into melodrama, but these are dramatic and powerful stories. The illustrations use a number of ancient motifs in borders and tailpieces; while the full-page images try for liveliness; sometimes they reflect a kind of creeping Disney-fication, resembling characters in those historical or folkloric animations. Different in focus but stronger in overall effect are Milton Meltzer’s Ten Queens and Miriam Chaikin’s Clouds of Glory. (bibliography, glossary) (Bible stories. 10-14)