The Angel and the Donkey - Hardcover

Paterson, Katherine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395689694 ISBN 13: 9780395689691

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1996

Synopsis

Near the Euphrates River, as Moses leads the Israelites in search of their homeland, a stubborn donkey delivers a message from an angel and helps her master save the Israelites from the King of Moab, in a richly illustrated tale from the Hebrew Bible.

About this title

About the Author:

Alexander Koshkin has illustrated several books for Clarion. He lives in Moscow, Russia.

From Booklist:

Ages 6^-9. Paterson takes her story from an incident reported in the Hebrew Bible, Numbers 22^-24. In the city of Pethor, a powerful soothsayer named Balaam rides on his faithful donkey to bless the worthy or curse the unworthy, all for a proper fee. When the king of Moab learns that Moses and the Israelites are defeating nearby neighbors, the king sends for Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam is willing until an angel of God warns him off, but when offered a house full of gold and silver, Balaam reconsiders. Only the intervention of his loyal donkey saves Balaam from the angel's wrath, and when God puts blessings for the Israelites into Balaam's mouth, the king knows he is doomed. The telling is lengthy, but Paterson has done a fine job of shaping the story so that its most appealing elements are in the forefront for a juvenile audience. Illustrator Koshkin has used traditional Assyrian, Israelite, and Egyptian motifs to excellent effect, though several of the pictures are repetitious. Executed in watercolor, tempera, and gouache, the artwork is almost incandescent, reflecting the mood of the story. Paterson's author's note will be extremely useful to adults and can serve as an introduction to biblical writings. Ilene Cooper

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0395689694
• ISBN 13: 9780395689691
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 34
• Illustrator: Koshkin Alexander