From School Library Journal
Gr 4-7-Slavik traces the history of Jerusalem from pre-Israelite days to the present, showing the importance of the holy city to the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, there are a number of problematic statements in the text. The very first sentence in the book, "Jerusalem, the capital of Israel-" is not really correct. The eastern part of the city, including the old walled city, is not, by international law, a part of Israel, but occupied territory. Also, when after Solomon's death the united Kingdom of Israel split, the northern kingdom was called Israel, but the southern kingdom was called Judah, not Judea as the book states. In addition, the Dome of the Rock is incorrectly called a mosque; it is actually a shrine over the rock, from which, by tradition, Muhammad made his night visit to heaven. Most Arab men, especially the younger ones, wear the same clothing as Israelis, and many women wear modest modern clothing, not veils. Not all Arab children attend Muslim schools; there is a large population of Christian Arabs living in Jerusalem, as well as a whole section of Armenian Christians who are neither Arab, Jew, nor Muslim. All this being said, the book does give a brief summary of a very important city. As in earlier titles in the series, this book has good-quality, full-color photographs; drawings; reproductions; and interesting sidebars appear throughout. -Carol Johnson Shedd, National Outreach Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. Slavik's excellent text takes a complicated topic and makes it not only understandable but also interesting. Part of the Cities through Time series, the book begins with a brief introduction to Jerusalem, then walks readers through the city's long, varied history. The author starts with the ancient town of Shalem, which may have been settled by Canaanite^B nomads, and describes what life was like then and later, in 1,000 B.C., when the city became a trade center. Chapters are divided into sections--ancient history, Greek and Roman times, the Ottoman era, modern Jerusalem, etc.^B Each section has several entries, and the clear, crisp writing moves readers along, supplying an overview of the city's importance and details of life during the time. The illustrations are a mix of solid if unexciting original art and well-chosen color and black-and-white photos and historical etchings. A time line and a short bibliography round out this useful offering. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
