From Publishers Weekly
Manushkin (Miriam's Cup: A Passover Story) brings to the women of the Hebrew Bible the richness and complexity of the wider Jewish traditions preserved in the Talmud, Midrash and other sources. From Eve to Esther, these heroines demonstrate not so much a sense of girl power or feminism in the contemporary sense, but rather an often fierce combination of courage, passion, faith and human frailty. These women shine with the grace of God yet also manifest flashes of anger, jealousy, deceit or doubt. Readers will respond not only to these powerful characterizations but to the enhanced details of the storytelling. Here, for example, Adam is created with two faces, "female on one side, and male on the other." When God realizes that Adam needs a mate, he removes one of Adam's sides and fashions Eve. Later, God chastises Adam for blaming Eve after he eats the forbidden fruit. The author skillfully links the majority of her stories via characters and settings, allowing them to flow smoothly as one large, colorful history. Caldecott Medalist Shulevitz (The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship) contributes a series of elegant, jewel-toned full-page illustrations, as well as spot art. In mixed-media compositions (he uses watercolor, pen-and-ink, and what appears to be woodblock printing), his figures seem softer-edged than usual, and the focus more diffused. His art, like the storytelling, startles the audience into fresh insights and appreciation. All ages.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Women of the Bible have been the theme of several books in the past few years, and this is one of the best. Manushkin includes the stories of many of the expected personages, such as Eve, Sarah, and Ruth, as well as some lesser-known ones-Hannah, Deborah, and Yael-and even the women of the Exodus and of the Wilderness. The author's lyrical, slightly old-fashioned writing fits her topic. She avoids modern expressions that would be intrusive to the subject matter, and her choice of stories is quite successful. The color illustrations, done in a mixed media that includes painting and collage, are a bit strange at times; for example, Adam is almost animalistic looking, and the eyes of several figures are so darkly outlined as to be almost disturbing. However, at their best the pictures extend the text well, and at their worst they do not overly detract from it. Altogether, this is a worthwhile work on a topic that is in high demand but not always as successfully presented.
Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
