PURIM

The richly textured, technically varied illustrations evoke the abundance and joy of Purim while delighting the eye; less can be said for the text, which tells the Old Testament story of King Ahasuerus, Esther and Heman, then explains the celebration of the Feast of Lots from the traditional hamantaschen and costume party to the new Israeli custom of a Purim parade. Primitive sentence structure is coupled with difficult Jewish names (of people and things), and no pronunciation guide is provided. Oversimplification of the Biblical story obscures its significance except as the occasion for a celebration. Alone, this may contribute to interfaith understanding, but for Jewish children it is merely a handsome auxiliary to the occasion.