All the Lights in the Night - Hardcover

Levine, Arthur A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688101070 ISBN 13: 9780688101077

Publisher: Tambourine Books, 1991

Synopsis

Moses and his little brother Benjamin find a way to celebrate Hanukkah during their dangerous emigration to Palestine

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Based on the experiences of his grandfather and great-uncle's escape from Russia in 1914, Levine's story of two courageous boys should appeal to children. It is almost Hanukkah when brothers Moses and Benjamin flee the pogroms in their small village for Palestine, where their older brother lives. They travel by cart, train, and finally ship, through a number of trials and dangers. Along the way their spirits are sustained by telling the story of Hanukkah to each other, and by their grandmother's lamp. Given to them by their mother with only enough oil to last for a single night, it recreates the Hanukkah miracle by providing enough light for the entire journey. When the captain of the ship on which they are to sail claims they have only enough money for one ticket, they pay for the second ticket with the lamp. The boys mourn its loss, but then realize that they have All the Lights in the Night. Ransome's oil paintings capture the drama of the journey, especially the boys' encounters with the train conductor and the sea captain. They also show the warm relationship between the brothers. Good to read aloud, the story should prove popular for intergenerational sharing, especially in families in which grandparents or great-grandparents emigrated at a young age. --Susan Giffard, Englewood Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bundled up in thick overcoats and scarves, two Jewish boys set off on a long journey to Palestine, hoping to leave behind the persecution of their Russian homeland. Levine's uplifting story--which reads like a folktale--is an admirable blend of religion and history that juxtaposes the tribulations of Benjamin and Moses with a retelling of the Hanukkah story. And just as the Jewish people experienced a miracle with their holy lamp, so too do these boys. Their small, battered lantern, given to them by their mother, keeps on burning, providing them with heat, light and hope. Ransome's richly textured oil paintings, though occasionally less than successful in depicting facial expressions, capture the underlying sadness while illuminating the story's themes of strong brotherly love and enduring faith. An interesting touch is his technique of layering his artwork, inserting a smaller illustration in the foreground to emphasize a particular textual detail. The result is a splendid book for Hanukkah and everyday, where the gentle message leaps out from the boys' shining faces and the homey simplicity of the text. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Levine's first book is based on his own grandfather's journey, in 1914, from a shtetl near Minsk to Palestine. The letter with money from older brother David arrives just before Hanukkah; with persecution on the rise, Moses and little Benjamin set out quickly--first in a kindly peasant's wagon, hiding under the potatoes, then by train to Warsaw. It's a dangerous journey, with soldiers as much a threat as thieves, but the boys manage to celebrate Hanukkah along the way, using their grandmother's little brass lamp, their mother's last gift to them. When an avaricious captain demands all their money for just one ticket, they persuade him to accept the lamp in payment for a second ticket so that they can continue their journey to David. Levine's straightforward narrative is clear, but it's the events, not the writing, that give it power. Ransome's full-page oils in wintry tones are bold and stark; their somber tone is appropriate, but a bit more vitality and sensitivity in the portrayal of the boys would have made their experience more immediate to young readers. (Picture book. 5-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Tambourine Books
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688101070
• ISBN 13: 9780688101077
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ransome James E.
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32