Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories About Stories in the Bible [Paperback]

Marc Gellman (Author), Oscar de Mejo (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1993 | Age Level: 9 and up

Before there was anything, there was God, and a few angels, and a huge swirling glob of rocks and water with no place to go. The angels asked God, "Why don't you clean up this mess?"

This collection of short, funny stories is one man's interpretation of how God did just that -- with some very unlikely help.

There was Adam, who decided to number the animals instead of giving them names -- until he lost count. There was Max, a matchmaking angel disguised as a camel. And who could forget the kindly dolphins of the Red Sea or the builders of the spectacularly chaotic Tower of Babel, whose foundation rests in one small girl's question: "Mommy, does God have a big toe?"

Reflecting Mr. Gellman's lifelong love for his subject, this witty collection of midrashim provides a wonderful way to learn about and to share the stories of the Bible. Distinguished artist Oscar de Mejo brings the right blend of reverence and humor with his magnificent oil paintings.

Notable Books of 1989 (NYT)
Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1989 (NYT)
Children's Books of 1989 (Library of Congress)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rabbi Gellman holds an earned doctorate in philosophy from Northwestern University. Rabbi Gellman is married to Betty Schulson and has two children, Mara and Max. He is the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Torah in Melville, New York. He will be the next president of the New York Board of Rabbis.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperTrophy (October 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064404536
• ISBN-13: 978-0064404532
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #456,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Words from the Heart, November 16, 2001

By 

Arthur Gershman (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories About Stories in the Bible (Paperback)

This is a delightful book either to give to your child, to read together with your child, to read yourself, or to refer to when you are asked that age old question, "Does God have a big toe?" The answer Rabbi Gelman gives is very sensible, "...God is not a person. God is special and invisible and wonderful and is the creator of the universe. God has made each of us in God's image. But God is not a person. And that is why God does not have a big toe."

This is a collection of 20 `midrashim' (plural for `midrash' or a story which is told about a story which appears in the Bible to illustrate a moral, i.e. a fable). The author explains all about `midrashim' in a Note at the beginning of the book in a style suitable for children. One handy feature of the book is that in the table of contents, each `midrash' is provided with the biblical citation from which the story is drawn. It is divided into two sections, one titled "Adam's Animals", the second "Does God Have A Big Toe?" and with a prologue about Genesis 1, the story of creation. Richly endowed with a half dozen illustrations by Italian primitive artist Oscar de Mejo, this book delights both the eye as well as the intellect.

There is a old Jewish saying, "Words from the heart speak to the heart." These words come from the heart. If you have an open heart they will speak to your heart.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Midrash for Children and Adults, December 20, 2000

By 

Bruce K. Day "sojourner" (Falls Church, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories About Stories in the Bible (Hardcover)

I wish that all of us could have a friend who can bring to life the dry Bible stories we think are no longer pertenant in our modern world. Mark Gellman could be that friend. His retellings of these familiar stories shed new light on man's relationship with God and creation. They are a great starting point for discussions with children and give adults reasons to spend time with some of the scriptures that we think we already understand well. The illustrations by Oscar de Mejo are also provocative and lend new insights into what could be tired old stories. It is sad that the Jewish tradition of midrash is not more accepted in the Christian tradition. Looking at the New Testament in creative new ways (without being condemned for being untrue to the exact word of the scriptures) might give followers of Jesus a better understanding of the their own traditional stories. Rabbi Gellman has a gift for allowing us to participate in these stories as insiders, rather than readers in another time and place. This is a must have if you want to cultivate an interest in the Bible and our relationship with our God--whether with children or adult seekers.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought -provoking treatement of traditional bible stories, January 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Does God Have a Big Toe?: Stories About Stories in the Bible (Paperback)

I used this book as a teaching aid in a Conformation class of pre-teen girls. It provided an additional alternative to the very patriarchal Genesis creation stories, in addition to helping them learn to think "outside the box" about scriptural stories in general. The girls loved the book and so did I. I've also heard some neat sermons based on the stories from this book. Grown-ups love it, too.