JPS Illustrated Children's Bible - by Ellen Frankel (Hardcover)

About the Book

Using the 1985 JPS translation (NJPS) of the Hebrew Bible as her foundation, an acclaimed storyteller and Jewish scholar masterfully selects and retells 53 Bible stories that will both delight and educate today's young readers. With his enticing, full-page color illustrations of each story, award-winning Israeli artist Katz ignites readers' imaginations.

Book Synopsis

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of this book possible: Stanley and Marcia Katz; Members of the Levine and Frankel families.

Acclaimed storyteller and Jewish scholar Ellen Frankel has masterfully tailored fifty-three Bible stories that will both delight and educate today's young readers. Using the 1985 JPS translation (NJPS) of the Hebrew Bible as her foundation, Frankel retains much of the Bible's original wording and simple narrative style as she incorporates her own exceptional storytelling technique, free of personal interpretation or commentary. Included in the volume is an; "Author's Notebook"; in which Frankel shares with rabbis, parents, and educators the challenges she faced in translating and adapting these stories for children, such as how she deals with adult language in the original Bible text and themes inappropriate for most young readers. With enticing, full-page color illustrations of each Bible story, award-winning artist Avi Katz ignites readers' imaginations. His brush captures the vivid personalities and many dramatic moments in this extraordinary collection.

Avi Katz and JPS are grateful to TaL AM for granting permission to reprint three illustrations from the TaL AM Tora Breshit Notebook series.

Ages 5 and up.

Review Quotes

"[The JPS Illustrated Children's Bible] will seed many children's memories and nourish their senses of wonder, curiosity, and history . . . This volume is a treasure for the generations!"--Peninnah Schram, professor of speech and drama at Yeshiva University's Stern College and Azrieli Graduate School, storyteller, recording artist, and author

"An enchanting, beautiful book . . . [that is] sure to draw in young people while providing them with an accurate and dynamic understanding of the Bible. And Avi Katz's illustrations just entice and pull in the reader again and again."--Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of A Code of Jewish Ethics, Jewish Literacy, and many other books

"Ellen Frankel has succeeded in restoring the story to the most famous book of stories . . . Here, at last, the voice of storyteller rises up from the page and draws us into the mystery and beauty of the core stories of Jewish tradition . . . luminous illustrations by Avi Katz . . . bring these stories to life."--Howard Schwartz, author of Leaves from the Garden of Eden: One Hundred Classic Jewish Tales and Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, 2005 winner of the National Jewish Book Award

"Ellen Frankel's retelling of biblical stories is clearly a labor of love. . . . [She] has created a work that dazzles as it teaches."--Hadassah Magazine-- (12/8/2011 12:00:00 AM)