The Brothers' Promise - Hardcover

Harber, Frances

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807509000 ISBN 13: 9780807509005

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co, 1998

Synopsis

Drawn from the Talmud, a book of Jewish teachings, two brothers put their differences aside to help each other during a drought, and their love and benevolence cause a miracle to occur, in a wonderful story illustrated with beautiful oil paintings.

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Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3AThis retelling of a favorite Jewish tale from the Talmud is set in turn-of-the-century Eastern Europe. When a father dies, he leaves his farm to his two sons, making them promise to divide the land in half and to always care for one another. The siblings are very different: lighthearted Yankel marries and has a family, and Josef, the serious scholar, does not. When a serious drought brings a shortage of food, each brother remembers his promise and secretly tries to help the other, not realizing that the other is doing the same. In the end, it is as though God were watching and their kindness is rewarded with much-needed rain. Jewish folk sayings are sprinkled throughout the text, and the love the brothers have for one another is clear. The bright, expressive oil paintings feature figures outlined in black, swirling landscapes, and cloud-filled skies. They suit the tone of the story. Florence B. Freedman's Brothers (HarperCollins, 1985; o.p.) and Neil Waldman's The Two Brothers (Atheneum, 1997) both take place in Biblical times. This version complements the others nicely; although the setting is different, the message is not lost, pointing out the timelessness of the tale.AElisabeth Palmer Abarbanel, Brentwood School, Los Angeles
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In a poignant Talmudic tale of companionship, sharing, and respect, two farmer brothers make a promise to their dying father to help each other through life. If they do, their father tells them, ``the angels will weep with joy.'' Although the brothers are markedly differentmarried Yankel is a bon vivant who enjoys to fiddle and dance, while single Josef prefers to quietly read the holy books at nightthey get along, and are good-natured about their differences. When hard times hit the farm in the form of a dry spell, their loyalty is tested, and each brother sacrifices his own security to make sure the other has food. The brothers are provided for, courtesy of divine intervention, and the angels do weepit rains. Wickstrom's gentle characters bring the simple, lovely sentiment to life in a setting of rolling hills, illuminated by sunlight and candlelight. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4^-6. In this traditional Jewish tale, a father dies and leaves his farm to his two sons, who share the farm and look after each other, despite their very different lifestyles--Yankle is a happily married family man, and Josef is a loner who spends his time reading religious books. When a drought threatens the farm, the brothers independently decide that the other needs whatever food has been saved. In a comic episode, the duo go back and forth delivering food and wondering why they are each winding up with more instead of less. Finally, they run into each other and, in a happy moment of realization, remember their father's words: "When a brother helps a brother, the angels in heaven weep tears of joy." This tells the same story as does Neil Waldman's recent The Two Brothers (1997), which has a soft-toned Jerusalem setting; Harber's tale is located in eastern Europe. Here, the pictures are vigorous both in color and in style of drawing. There's lots of movement in the art, and the pictures capture the story's humor and the worry that comes with farming life. Ilene Cooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0807509000
• ISBN 13: 9780807509005
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Wickstrom Thor
• Number of pages: 32