David and Goliath [Paperback]

Eric Metaxas (Author), Douglas Fraser (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

In the biblical story of David, a courageous young shepherd boy empowered by God takes on the fierce Philistine champion Goliath in mortal combat, in a story enhanced by music by Branford Marsalis. Read by Mel Gibson.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5. A dramatic retelling of an Old Testament story, beginning with Saul's anointment as king of the Israelites. When Saul proves to be unfaithful to God, Samuel is directed to find and anoint a young shepherd, David, to be the future king. Meanwhile, the Philistines' champion, Goliath, challenges the Israelites to send one man to fight with him, but no one volunteers. When David visits his older brothers near the battlefield, he is outraged to see the Israelites filled with fear and battles Goliath himself, armed with only five small stones and a slingshot. Fraser's bold, stylized illustrations depict monumental characters with chiseled features and powerful limbs. (Goliath, in fact, may remind some readers of a superhero action-figure.) The backgrounds are spacious fields of color, empty of all but the most basic details. The pictures heighten the sense of anticipation as events unfold. The illustrations, combined with the more formal language used in the text, create a tale of mythological proportions. While there are many versions of this story available, notably Beatrice Schenk de Regniers's David and Goliath (Orchard, 1996) and Leonard Everett Fisher's David and Goliath (Holiday, 1993), Metaxas's vivid and lengthy retelling is appealing. Mel Gibson provides a fine narration on the audiocassette, accompanied by the music of Branford Marsalis.?Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Juv); Pap/Cas edition (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689806043
• ISBN-13: 978-0689806049
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,209,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Metaxas is the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery. His writing was first published in Atlantic Monthly, and has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Regeneration Quarterly, Christianity Today, National Review Online, Beliefnet and First Things. The American Booksellers Association chose Metaxas's The Birthday ABC as a 1995 Pick of the List and Amazon.com honored his Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving with their Number One Bestseller Award for Thanksgiving 1999. He has been featured numerous times on CNN, The Fox News Channel and other television networks, and has been a guest on NPR. He is the founder and host of Socrates in the City: Conversations on the Examined Life, a monthly event of entertaining and thought provoking discussions that feature such speakers as Sir John Polkinghorne, Dr. Armand Nicholi, Os Guinness, Lauren F. Winner and Peter Kreeft. Metaxas serves on the vestry of Calvary/St. George's Episcopal Church, and lives in Manhattan, New York, with his wife and daughter.