Young Heroes of the Bible - Hardcover

Douglas, Kirk

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689814917 ISBN 13: 9780689814914

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

Actor Kirk Douglas provides his favorite stories about heroic Biblical figures, including Rebecca, Joseph, and Miriam.

About this title

About the Author

Kirk Douglas has been a Hollywood legend for over four decades. In a career encompassing more than eighty films, he has earned an Academy Award for a lifetime of achievement and three Academy Award nominations -- for Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, and Lust for Life. As an independent producer, he has brought to the screen classics like Paths of Glory, The Vikings, Spartacus, Lonely Are the Brave, and Seven Days in May. His autobiographies, Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning and The Ragman's Son, and his three novels, Dance with the Devil, The Gift, and Last Tango in Brooklyn, won praise from critics and became international best-sellers. His first book written for children was The Broken Mirror.

Reviews

Grade 2-5-Five stories that cover a wide span of Old Testament history. The book begins with Abram, who "lived four thousand years ago," and continues through this family line with Rebecca, and then Joseph. The other two stories are about Miriam and David, who are said to be descendants of Judah-as are all people. Douglas identifies these tales as being his favorites because in them, "it's a little kid or a very young person who does something spectacular." In a casual, conversational manner, he introduces each selection by drawing parallels to his own life and includes his personal beliefs. The reteller tries hard to spark readers' interest, but he tries too hard. His version of the story of Joseph is called "A Spoiled Brat Who Grew Up to Be a Hero." Much unneccesary information is presented, which may distract readers who are trying to understand the Bible, not the actor's life or opinions. He strays off on tangents attempting to explain certain concepts, many of which do not need explanation, and interrupts the story line too frequently. Occasional pencil illustrations support the text. Eric Kimmel's Be Not Far from Me: The Oldest Love Story (S & S, 1998) is an unbiased retelling that will stimulate discussion.
Elizabeth Maggio, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

If ever a book seemed designed to appeal to grandparents, this is it, from the fancy jacket with its solemn inset illustration of David to the octogenarian celebrity author. Happily, kids should like it, too. Douglas proves himself a much better storyteller here than in his previous children's work, The Broken Mirror, perhaps because this time he is working from a scriptAaccounts from the Bible and Midrash of the childhood deeds of Abraham, Rebecca, Joseph, Miriam and David. Douglas keeps the characters appealingly lifelike even as he drives home their extraordinary contributions and virtues. He treats the biblical setting to contemporary embellishments that make the stories more accessible. For example, when Abraham poses skeptical questions about idols, his teacher tells him, "Keep quiet, or you will have to stay after school." (Similarly, Abraham's father, the owner of the biggest idol shop in Ur, has a sign reading, "We have a god for every occasion"). The book does have flaws. Douglas sometimes plays a little too obviously to the audience ("The kids in the Bible were cool. They did great things and without any help from adults either"). There are also a few insipid moments (e.g., the author gives the origins of the name God as "the word 'good' with an o left out"). But on balance the writing is sturdy, and the generalized Judeo-Christian delivery will keep the audience wide. Ages 8-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Joseph was "a spoiled brat" who grew up to be a hero. "That Miriam was one smart cookie." In simple colloquial style, the famous actor Kirk Douglas, now 82, retells five stories about young people from the Bible and the Midrash: stories about young Abraham, Rebecca, Miriam, Joseph, and David. Determined to get away from the dull Sunday school stories he remembers from his own childhood, Douglas overdoes the cool talk ("Moses went ballistic"), with a sometimes cutesy, condescending tone, and some old-fashioned, personal asides that add nothing to the narrative ("I have learned in life that all girls like jewelry"). Of course, these stories are thrilling for reading aloud and talking about, and many children will appreciate the dramatic confrontations and the reverence. Dom Lee's small, quiet, black-and-white illustrations capture the Old Testament setting and the courage of Douglas' young heroes. Hazel Rochman

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689814917
• ISBN 13: 9780689814914
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Lee Dom
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144