King Solomon and His Magic Ring [Hardcover]

Mark Podwal (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

So begins Elie Wiesel's harmonious retelling of twenty mysterious and wonderfully compelling stories about King Solomon--rarely heard tales that span the revered ruler's life, from the time he took the throne at age twelve, to the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, to the disintegration of the kingdom upon his death. Rich, rewarding, gracefully told, this keepsake book is illustrated by Mark Podwal, whose fluid and symbolic paintings grace every spread.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a loosely spun collection of legends about King Solomon, Nobel laureate Wiesel adopts a friendly, conversational styleAalmost as if he were spending a Shabbat afternoon regaling children with snippets of tales from the Talmud and Midrash. The angel Michael brings Solomon the ring of the title: "With it you will conquer all the demons of this world, and with their labor, you shall build the Temple of Jerusalem." Anecdotes tell how the king travels on a flying carpet; trades quips with ants and birds; unwisely takes the Pharaoh's daughter as one of his 1000 wives; gets tricked by Ashmedai, the king of the demons; etc. The narrative is fluid, with one episode easily giving way to the next. However, some readersAparticularly presiding adults unfamiliar with the roles of the Talmud and MidrashAmay wish the author had provided more of a context for his storytelling than is offered in the minimal source notes at the end. Podwal, previously paired with Wiesel for A Passover Haggadah, adheres to his customary style, eschewing clearly narrative visuals in favor of a series of almost mythic images. If Wiesel's text evokes the atmosphere of his Carpathian boyhood, Podwal's palette hints of the South of France, and his carefully modulated abstractions are as striking in their embrace of the 20th century as is the text's pleasure in tradition. Ages 5-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4 Vividly retold legends of King Solomon have been interwoven with Biblical accounts of his reign to present an exciting picture of his life. The text is filled with magic: a ring from God, a flying carpet, the language of animals, and power over demons. The Temple in Jerusalem is built and Solomon's wisdom is renowned, until the demon king, Ashmedai, steals his throne with a clever trick. Although Solomon eventually regains his kingdom, his life is never the same. Podwal's distinctive, imaginative illustrations done in gouache, acrylics, and colored pencil have a deceptively simple at times almost surreal quality, eye-catching in their rich colors, basic forms, variety of perspectives, and intriguingly menacing demons. Source notes are appended. Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (August 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688169597
• ISBN-13: 978-0688169596
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,014,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elie Wiesel is the author of more than forty books, including his unforgettable international best sellers Night and A Beggar in Jerusalem, winner of the Prix Médicis. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the French Legion of Honor with the rank of Grand Cross. In 1986, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and University Professor at Boston University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: King Solomon and His Magic Ring, by Elie Wiesel, October 17, 2000

By 

"sleepiest1" - See all my reviews

This review is from: King Solomon and His Magic Ring (Hardcover)

Elie Wiesel's new children's book, King Solomon and His Magic Ring, is an unpleasantly surprising work. Wiesel, author of over forty works of fiction and non-fiction, stuns readers with an uninspiring, bland retelling of a famous legend. He attempts to catch our children's attention with a thin spidery plot that is difficult to grasp.

As a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Wiesel could have done much better for himself. Instead, he has written one more book that we are able to add to the growing pile of poorly written children's books lacking in stimuli. Surely, "Not only was Solomon the wisest of all rulers, he was also the mightiest." (12). Well, not only is that line cliché, it's also not something that would excite a young mind.

Speaking of exciting, the paintings featured in this piece are of very high quality and talent. However, they are not suitable for children. The art is too dark and depicts demons, giants, lions, and other things that might frighten younger readers. In addition to boring or perhaps scaring today's youth, Wiesel has also managed to impress upon them a couple of incorrect teachings, including one about women. "Solomon's worst mistake? His marriage to the daughter of the Pharaoh." (36) The daughter of the Pharaoh gives a poor example of women. The book describes her as an enthralling dancer who later tricks Solomon whilst he is under her spell. Not all women are evil temptresses out to control men through manipulative ways; the author should make that clear.

Now, what about this magic ring? "From the moment he slipped the ring on his finger, Solomon's authority extended over everything from spirits and animals to the wind." (14) That sounds a bit like mind control. Add that to the way Wiesel portrays King Solomon; a reader might think Wiesel was advocating ruling with an iron fist. Children's books are meant to be entertaining, yes, but not to cause the youngster to reach for incorrect ideals.

Our media claims `90's youth is desensitized to television murders and sex in the movies. However, since children are taught that books are the alleys towards truth, they tend to try to learn from them, rather than media. Let Wiesel not inadvertently poison the minds of tomorrow with works such as this.