In God's Hands [Hardcover]

Lawrence Kushner (Author), Gary D. Schmidt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

David and Jacob live in the same little, ordinary town, but it's almost as if they're from different worlds. David is so poor he can barely feed his family. Jacob is so consumed with staying rich he thinks about nothing but money. But the two men have one thing in common: they both believe that miracles are big, magical things that can only happen somewhere else, to someone else.

But when Jacob wakes up from a nap in synagogue one day, sure that God has demanded twelve loaves of bread from him, all this changes in amazing ways you'd never expect.

A delightful, timeless legend based on Jewish tradition, In God's Hands tells of the ordinary miracles that occur when we really, truly open our eyes to the world around us.

Endorsed by Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish Religious Leaders

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Jacob, a rich man, always falls asleep in synagogue, but one day he wakes up just in time to hear the words of Leviticus read: ‘You shall bake twelve loaves of challah, and set them before Me in two rows, six in each row.' He is certain that God is talking directly to him, so he hurries home and quickly bakes 12 loaves of bread. He brings them to the synagogue and places them in the Holy Ark. David, the poor caretaker, discovers the loaves and believes that they were sent from God to answer his prayers for food to feed his family. Over the years, Jacob's giving and David's receiving become routine. When the rabbi discovers the two men and reveals to them what has been happening, they both learn how their hands have become God's hand in creating a miracle. Based on a traditional folktale, Kushner and Schmidt's retelling is greatly enhanced by Baek's detailed illustrations in deep blues and earth colors. Similar to Aubrey Davis's Bagels from Benny (Kids Can, 2003), this version follows the original more closely and has a slightly more sophisticated message.–Rachel Kamin, Temple Israel Libraries & Media Center, West Bloomfield, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 1-3. Kushner, who has written many books for children and adults, teams with Schmidt, whose Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy was both a 2005 Newbery and Printz Honor Book, to create a meaningful tale that will open children's eyes to the ways in which one can become God's hands on earth. Jacob is rich, and much too busy thinking about money to consider miracles. David is poor; feeding his children takes precedence over miracles. One day, Jacob hears a Torah verse: Make 12 loaves and set them before Me. Jacob bakes the loaves and puts them in the ark with the Torah scrolls. That very day, David comes to the synagogue, pleading to God for food for his family; he opens the ark and finds the bread. When Jacob returns to the synagogue, the bread is gone. Both men think God performed a miracle. After months of giving and receiving, they learn the truth. At first they are disappointed, but their rabbi makes them understand that on earth God's miracles often come through His people. This lovely piece of bookmaking combines a good tale with a strong, easily understood message. Baek's artwork, set against buff-colored pages and highlighted in shades of blue, uses a variety of angles, placements, and design elements to invite interest. A great discussion starter. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing (July 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580232248
• ISBN-13: 978-1580232241
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary parable, December 12, 2008

By 

Stephanie Berkebile "berkeby" (Rosemount, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In God's Hands (Hardcover)

In God's Hands is a fable about how God meets the needs of people in unexpected ways. The story is based in a Temple, which connects families who have very different socio-economic status in the community. A man prays for help feeding his family, and God answers the prayers through another man who has plenty to share. Neither man comes into contact with the other until the Rabbi catches on to what is happening and introduces the two men to each other. A great story for children of all ages!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story..., November 22, 2008

By 

M. Laster (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In God's Hands (Hardcover)

This was a beautiful story showing how great it is to give and that we all have a little of God's hands in our own. It inspired my son and I to bake loaves of bread for everyone we know!

5.0 out of 5 stars God works miracles through people, November 30, 2011

By 

Brian Villanueva - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In God's Hands (Hardcover)

What is a miracle?

Thats the central question of this book, told from a Jewish perspective, but equally valid for Christians.

Does a miracle require God to visibly, obviously make something happen on Earth?

A lady's car dies in a bad neighborhood. She prays for help, and her prayer is answered when a good Samaritan stops to jump-start her car. Is that a miracle? Or just a coincidence?

A father who's been laid off and is about to be foreclosed on prays for God to provide a place for his family. He suddenly gets a job offer from a company who heard about him from a friend, and with whom he never applied. Miracle? Or coincidence?

A man has terminal cancer and has been told he has 6 months to live. He asks his church to pray for him. 3 months later he goes in and is found to be cancer free for no medical reason. Miracle? Or coincidence?

Defining a miracle is hard even for adults, let alone explaining them to children.

In this book, David is poor with a wife and 3 kids, and his family is hungry, but he's a devout Jew who loves God. Jacob is rich and fat and falls asleep in church. But one day, Jacob wakes up just enough to hear a reading from Leviticus: "you shall make 12 loaves of bread and set them before me in 2 rows". Upon leaving the church, Jacob is convinced that he's heard the voice of God (perhaps he has), so he goes home, bakes 12 loaves of bread, and leaves them in the church. No sooner has Jacob left, then David enters the church and asks God for help providing for his family. He then sees the 12 loaves of bread. He takes it as a miracle and an answer to his prayer. This cycle continues for several weeks until the rabbi sees the whole exchange. It is the rabbi's answer that makes the book worth reading, so I won't spoil the ending.

We've referred back to this book on numerous occasions when our family was the good Samaritan. We often mention to our kids that we have no idea whether we were the answer to someone else's prayer. We don't know what God's doing, but He does.

In short: God doesn't need us to work miracles. He can always find someone else. But if he wants to work a miracle through you, why would you refuse?

That's a message I'm happy to teach my kids.