A Time To Love: Stories From The O Ld Testament - Hardcover

Myers, Walter Dean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439220009 ISBN 13: 9780439220002

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2003

Synopsis

Like Anita Diamont's bestselling THE RED TENT, this stunning collaboration from an award-winning father & son team finds inspiration in the world's most profound & influential literary work, the Bible

Combining the power of his finest fiction w/ the exquisite language of his poetry, Walter Dean Myers retells 6 stories from the Old Testament--all w/ YA narrators. Some stories are well known (Samson&Delilah), others less so (Aser&Gamiel). Some are straightforward (Ruth&Naomi). Others are complicated & challenging (Abraham&Isaac). But like the bloodlines that connect many of these biblical figures, a common theme courses through their stories: LOVE. Christopher's arresting artwork is grounded in the traditions of classical art but is infused with a vision and soul all his own.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7 Up-These stories from the Hebrew scriptures tell familiar tales of Samson, Joseph, Ruth, Abraham, Lot, and Moses. The first-person narrators, however, are usually secondary characters: when Delilah tells the story, its focus shifts in an interesting way, to explore human love and betrayal. Just before the Exodus, the speaker is a boy whose best friend is a first-born Egyptian who does not survive the last plague. Reuben tells how their betrayal of Joseph (whose coat is not "many-colored") affects the loyal brothers. Lot's youngest daughter reveals her disillusionment with her father. (Isaac, a bit less convincingly, increases his faith in his father, even as he is bound on the altar.) The artwork, in various media, is variously successful. The quasi-Egyptian illustrations are delightful, the pencil drawings for Samson are accomplished, and the silhouette/collage pictures for Joseph are especially effective at suggesting the wider applications of the story. However, the artist's decision to depict Ruth, Naomi, and Orpah as black women sits oddly with the setting in Moab/Judah, and Lot's daughters have South Indian dress and features while their mother appears to be African. The reflections of Myers and his sons on their own spiritual journeys, in supplementary essays, add a worthwhile personal dimension to this contemporary effort at midrash.
Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 7-10. Myers provocatively retells six stories from the Old Testament, writing each in the first person, though not usually the person one expects. Delilah introduces Samson, whom she both loves and fears, and explains why she thinks his destruction will save her people. Joseph's brother, Reuben, tells of fraternal jealousy and forgiveness, and Zillah, daughter of Lot, provides a glimpse of her mother's life that might explain why she turned for one last look at Sodom. Myers' thoughtful introduction explains how and why these multilayered stories entice across the ages, defining love and the many ways it appears in his choices. This is an exquisitely designed book, rich in color. Christopher Myers' illustrations, in mixed media and collage, accompany each story; a handsome font is used on textured backgrounds; and display headers and numbers are colorful and unusual. Chaplain Michael Dean Myers, the author's elder son, offers a preface that finds the human element in these retellings. Suitable across many faiths, these stories show their power once again. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0439220009
• ISBN 13: 9780439220002
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Myers Christopher