MARY OF NAZARETH

A realistic expansion of the account in Matthew and Luke of Mary's experiences from the Annunciation to Jesus' 12th year, by a Danish Andersen medalist. With careful attention to biblical clues, Bodker presents real people responding with dignity to an unexpected supernatural event. When Ann sees that Mary is trembling after the visitation, she asks, ""Did he hurt you?"" and explains to her husband that Mary is ill. The neighbors gossip; Mary goes away for a while, to visit her aunt Elizabeth, who is carrying John the Baptist; the meeting of these two women confirms the miraculous nature of the coming event. Bodker makes some interestingly plausible and logical additions: Mary's parents are also in Bethlehem to be taxed, as descendants of David; Joseph works as a shipbuilder in Egypt. The carefully authentic illustrations show dark, Middle Eastern faces, often expressing emotion with subtlety; many of the scenes are nicely evocative of ancient Israel, although there are also clumsy passages in the art, which is uneven in quality. A memorable, reverent, unusual, and unusually detailed approach to this beloved story.