FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this handsome companion volume to Stories from the Life of Jesus, Celia Barker Lottridge brings her gifts as an award-winning storyteller to the Jewish Bible. These texts from the Old Testament are essential for reading the books, for looking at the art, and for listening to the music from the past two millennia - and long before. Lottridge's striking prose highlights the drama of such stories as Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, Samson in the lion's den, the famed exodus from Egypt, Lot and his wife who turned to stone, and more. At a time when religion is both omnipresent and absent from children's lives, this version of the Jewish Bible is presented to young readers as a narrative of interest both for the compelling quality of the stories it tells and for the deep, resonant role it has played in Western culture. Acclaimed illustrator Gary Clement interprets these tales with respect and vitality.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The storyteller behind Stories from the Life of Jesus delivers Stories from Adam and Eve to Ezekiel, retold by Celia Barker Lottridge, illus. by Gary Clement. Recounting the Old Testament tales in a voice tailored to children, Lottridge provides a straightforward translation ("Then Moses stretched his hand out over the sea. And God sent a strong east wind that blew all night and divided the water and made a path of dry land through the middle of the sea"), citing the biblical passages from which the stories originate. Clement (The Great Poochini) contributes illustrations characterized by loose pen-and-ink lines and watercolor wash. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Carlee Hallman

Stories from the Old Testament are retold simply. Truths shine through as definition is given to good and evil and the question "Am I my brother's keeper?" is answered. Old favorites such as "David and Goliath," "Jonah and the Great Fish," and "Daniel in the Lion's Den" are included. Each of the thirty-two stories has the Biblical reference printed beside it. The child-like pen and ink drawings are painted with water colors. The pictures have the child's perspective of looking up. We see the tower of Babel from its base. Joseph in the well looks up to a hole of light surrounded by his brothers looking down. The illustrations catch the emotion of these stories that form part of our cultural heritage and are often referred to in literature, music, and art. Parents and children alike will enjoy this retelling of Old Testament stories. 2004, Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, Ages 8 to 12.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-In her foreword, Lottridge states that she wanted to capture "the flavor of stories told and valued and passed on over a very long time." And she has achieved a sweet freshness in these retellings of 32 Bible tales. Her selections are faithful (e.g., there are two versions of the creation of humans, as in Genesis), but not exhaustive. Young readers won't encounter Noah's drunkenness or Lot's offer of his virgin daughters to the men of Sodom. God's curse after the Fall doesn't mention the sorrow of childbirth. Cain kills Abel, Jacob tricks his father and brother, but Bathsheba and Absalom are absent. Moses, Miriam, Ruth, David, Elijah (but no resurrection story), Jonah, Daniel, and Esther are among the familiar figures, both weak and strong, deftly passing in review. The retelling ends appropriately with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Lottridge's phrasing is swift and forthright: the clear, plain words retain a noble gravity. Clement's 40 illustrations recall the great Warwick Hutton's: like the text, they have both immediacy and timelessness. Changes of scale and perspective remind viewers of the unexpected intervention of the divine and the unpredictability of human existence. Although stories from the Hebrew Bible are readily available, this collection commends itself by the combination of subtlety and simplicity in both words and pictures.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.