TOWER OF BABEL

The familiar biblical tale is given a sassy, contemporary voice that leads to a perplexing, implied conclusion. Many, many years ago, when the world’s population lived in the Land of Shinar and spoke one language, everyone became bored with the humdrum nature of everyday life. “They went to school, worked at their jobs, and kept their home tidy and gardens blooming.” Discussion at the local café inspires new ideas and leads to the building of a tower “that will reach heaven… [and] make us important and powerful!” One hundred floors later, the people celebrate that “We will rule the earth and the sky!” But a thunderous hailstorm and lightning-torn sky splinter the once-cohesive group into several smaller ones unable to communicate in their new but different languages. While the storm serves as a metaphor for God’s anger, children may have difficulty inferring the story’s theme of arrogance run amok, as He and His wrath are never made explicit players in the story. Rebora’s bright illustrations, reminiscent of Melissa Sweet’s, add humor to this retelling of how and why God created the world’s numerous races and tongues, but they won’t fill the narrative gaps. (Picture book. 4-6)