Angels Sweep the Desert Floor: Bible Legends About Moses in the Wilderness - Hardcover

Chaikin, Miriam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395978254 ISBN 13: 9780395978252

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2002

Synopsis

A mesmerizing collection of eighteen touching stories from the Old Testament, otherwise known as midrashim, follows Moses and the Israelites as they roam the desert, appease their hunger with manna bread, receive the Ten Commandments, and finally reach the Holy Land.

About this title

About the Author

Miriam Chaikin is the prize-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. She lives in New York City and spends part of each year in Israel.

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

Reviews

Grade 4-7-The stories in this collection take place during the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They are set on earth and in heaven and feature Moses, Aaron, and Miriam interacting with a colorful array of angels. The writing is simple and lyrical, with imaginative flourishes linking the two worlds. And while the overall tone is serious, there are humorous touches, such as the angels called "Sour Faces." As she did in Clouds of Glory (Clarion, 1998), Chaikin draws from biblical and rabbinic literature as well as from her own imagination to create these stories, and lists her sources in a notes section. The full-page watercolor, tempera, and gouache illustrations have a fanciful formality that complements the narrative. Capable of exciting the creative, as well as the spiritual imagination, these wonderful stories make great read-alouds.
Linda R. Silver, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-7. In a companion to Clouds of Glory (1988), Chaikin once again returns to the style of Jewish literature known as Midrash to tell the story of Moses as he leads the Israelites through the desert in search of the Promised Land. Angels play a leading role in these 18 tales, as they help the wanderers with food and shade and comment on life both in heaven and on Earth. Moses, too, comes across as a real person, beset with cares and worries, hopes and dreams. Chaikin does a good job of mixing religious history with tenents of Judaism and framing everything as folklore, right at a child's level. Unlike in the previous volume, her introductory explanation of Midrash--stories inspired by the Bible--makes the concept clear in a way that children will understand. The colorful paintings have a patina of illumination, though some of the figures are stiff. A welcoming way to expand Bible stories. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395978254
• ISBN 13: 9780395978252
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Koshkin Alexander
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 102