by Barbara Diamond Goldin & illustrated by Neil Waldman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1994
A lovely book that's intended as a companion to, rather than a substitute for, a Passover Haggadah. The text is divided into two sections: one deals with the biblical stories and ancient rabbinic writings (Midrashim) telling of Moses's birth and how he was able to lead the Jewish people out of enslavement; the second discusses the Seder service and various traditions surrounding it. Well-researched, and written in simple but effective language, this will be welcomed in general collections, by families wanting to enrich their understanding and celebration of Passover, and by synagogues and religious schools. Waldman's watercolors are quietly handsome—even when depicting the plagues that were sent to scourge the Egyptians. Useful and attractive. Notes on sources; glossary. (Nonfiction. 5+)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-670-82421-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1994
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by Jane Yolen & Barbara Diamond Goldin ; illustrated by Vali Mintzi
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by Barbara Diamond Goldin ; illustrated by Gina Capaldi
‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 30, 1992
The most interesting feature of this retelling of a story about a saint martyred in A.D. 270 is the art, a meticulous re- creation of the medium of its subject's period. Using thousands of tiny, rectangular pieces resembling tiles, Sabuda replicates the effect of Roman mosaics. His simple designs and harmonious, gently muted colors are pleasing, and he achieves surprising subtleties of expression, considering the intractability of the medium. Actually, the illustrations work even better from a slight distance (as with a group), so that the demarcations between the tiny pieces are less predominant. The technique, which tends to congeal the action, makes relatively undramatic illustrations; still, it's a fascinating experiment that brings the ancient world to life by paying tribute to its art rather than by picturing it in a modern style. The straightforward narrative centers on Valentine as a physician whose ointment restores the sight of a jailer's blind daughter, long the saint's friend. It's implied that the long-awaited cure takes place at the moment of his offstage death; the story ends with the joy of the child's renewed vision. An unusual and attractive rendition. Historical note. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 1992
ISBN: 0-689-31762-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1992
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by Gordon Korman ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2021
Provocative yet cautious.
A community transformed by swastikas, and the response.
Chokecherry, Colorado, is a small town with a lot going on. A group of paleontologists from Massachusetts have set up a research station after fossilized dinosaur poop is discovered in the area. Some residents still whisper about the Night of a Thousand Flames in 1978, when Ku Klux Klan members flocked to the area and burned crosses. And the local media is sent into an uproar when Michael Amorosa, a Dominican boy and one of the few students of color, discovers a swastika painted on a wall at Chokecherry Middle School. Told in alternating perspectives, the story follows the students as they embark on a lengthy tolerance-building curriculum, come up with an art project to commemorate Jewish victims of the Holocaust, deal with an out-of-town YouTuber who wants to go viral with his commentary on the story, and learn more about themselves and their family histories. The only Jewish girl, Dana Levinson, helps Lincoln Rowley study for his bar mitzvah after he learns that his maternal grandmother, rescued and raised by nuns as a Christian, was the sole member of her family to survive the Holocaust. While the story is engaging, with many twists and turns, the different voices blend together, and emotional depth takes a back seat to educational goals. There’s a lot to ponder here about mistakes, intention, the difference between ignorance and hatred, and religious identity.
Provocative yet cautious. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-14)Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-62911-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
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