The Promised Land - Hardcover

Waldman, Neil

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1563973324 ISBN 13: 9781563973321

Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 2002

Synopsis

The powerful picture book, detailing the extraordinary journey of the Jewish people to Canaan, a mystical land, which forever changed the course of history, is brought to life with beautiful paintings that capture the scenes of Jewish life in the ancient world and in Europe.

About this title

About the Authors

Neil Waldman's work has won many honors, including the Washington Irving Award, the Award of Merit from the Society of Illustrators, and the National Jewish Book Award. He also was awarded a Gold Medal from the United Nations for his poster celebrating the International Year of Peace. He lives for two years in Israel and now resides in Greenburgh, New York, with his wife, Kathy.

Neil Waldman's work has won many honors, including the Washington Irving Award, the Award of Merit from the Society of Illustrators, and the National Jewish Book Award. He also was awarded a Gold Medal from the United Nations for his poster celebrating the International Year of Peace. He lives for two years in Israel and now resides in Greenburgh, New York, with his wife, Kathy.

Neil Waldman's work has won many honors, including the Washington Irving Award, the Award of Merit from the Society of Illustrators, and the National Jewish Book Award. He also was awarded a Gold Medal from the United Nations for his poster celebrating the International Year of Peace. He lives for two years in Israel and now resides in Greenburgh, New York, with his wife, Kathy.

Reviews

Grade 6-9-In this beautifully written but rather obscure book, Waldman covers the history of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham through Moses leading his people to Mt. Nebo and Joshua leading them into Canaan. The writing is lyrical and lovely; however, it is likely to be over the comprehension level of its intended audience, as the author uses such words as "immutable" and "amalgam." The book also requires a certain amount of familiarity with Jewish history, for Waldman refers to children reading the Torah in the ghettos without explanation, and alludes to the Diaspora without going into detail past the Exodus story. The story ends abruptly after the arrival in Canaan, leaving readers wanting further information. The design is attractive, with a gilt border of leaves and a Hebrew phrase running along the top of each page, boxes of Hebrew lettering on small painted backgrounds, and a map of the area on the contents page. The illustrations are uneven, but for the most part they are lovely, with inserts at the start of each chapter that include stylized Egyptians, landscapes, and snakes, as well as full-page paintings that depict such scenes as the burning bush, the Jews traveling through the desert, and Moses holding up the tablets. Unfortunately, the complexity of the language and minimal background make the audience unclear and the book somewhat inaccessible. However, middle school and religious libraries looking to expand their early Jewish history sections may find it useful.
Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

A dramatic vertical format, gold lettering on the jacket, gold borders within and abundant illustrations in Waldman's (The Golden City: Jerusalem's Three Thousand Years) reverent, contemporary style signal a gift book; this title is more impressive for its visual impact than for its text. Waldman links the survival of the Jewish people to Jewish faith in God's biblical promise of a land of milk and honey. He begins with Abram's journey to Canaan (identifying Abram as "a good and decent nomadic tribesman [who] was visited by God"), then asserts, "A profound connection is forged that will endure for thousands of years. It is the relationship of a wandering desert people to a cherished piece of fertile soil, a land that will come to represent their hopes, dreams, and aspirations." The text frequently demands a lot from young readers (even when Waldman later names Abram as the first Jew, he doesn't explain why), but elsewhere makes simplistic arguments, particularly in his monolithic descriptions of Judaism ("Their religion has remained intact since the days of Baal, Zeus, Cleopatra, and the pyramids"). The watercolors, on the other hand, are consistently moving. In strikingly lit desert colors the artist evokes the Jews of Moses' day, and he darkens his palette to intersperse images of other Jews far from a homeland-Eastern European cheder boys; an old man with a yellow star on his coat; a contemporary man holding a Torah scroll. When Waldman finally shows "the sacred soil of Canaan" (he doesn't name Israel), his work is subtle: the land is green but open, suggesting harvests yet to come. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-7. There's no question this is a gorgeous book decorated with elegant gold-leaf borders that feature Hebrew lettering, portraits, and landscapes that cut across time from biblical days to the concentration camps. Waldman has obviously poured emotion and reverence into every illustration, whether he is picturing Moses' facial features glowing in the brilliant light of the burning bush; an elderly gentleman, yellow star prominent on his drab coat; or a sun-dappled meadow in the Promised Land. But his densely packed text is not quite as successful as his art, in part because he's taken on such a huge subject. He's had to make some awkward leaps and connections (one moment he's discussing the 10 plagues, the next he's moved to children in the ghetto; then it's back again). For children with background knowledge, however, there's a wealth of information as well as drama aplenty. Crisscrossing a rich, panoramic landscape of history, Waldman weaves together teachings, commandments, and mystical happenings to reveal a tapestry of struggle that represents the "hopes, dreams, and aspirations" of the Jews of the past and for generations to come. A brief glossary of Hebrew translations is appended. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1563973324
• ISBN 13: 9781563973321
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40