Miriam and Her Brother Moses [Hardcover]

Jean Marzollo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Reviewed with Jean Marzollo's Daniel in the Lions' Den.

PreS-Gr. 3. Clearly designed for reading aloud and discussion, these chatty retellings of Old Testament stories combine big, bright, thick-lined watercolor pictures with lively dramatic narratives that bring the stories to kids today. At the bottom of the pages stream tiny creatures--ants in Daniel's story, fish in Miriam's--that ask questions and make comments that will encourage listeners to talk about the issues ("Daniel is loyal to both God and the King. That's hard to do"). Daniel's story doesn't downplay the thrilling drama of facing fierce, roaring lions, but the hero is saved by an angel who works for God, and the message is that Daniel's faith gives him the strength to stand up for what he believes. Miriam's story begins with Pharaoh's terrible order to "throw all Hebrew baby boys into the river," and then retells the famous story from the viewpoint of the brave, wise, older sister. Kids will enjoy acting out the various roles and talking about the moral issues, then and now. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Jean Marzollo is the author of over one hundred books, including the best-selling, award-winning I SPY books (with photographs by Walter Wick). She has written ten science books for children and written and illustrated another re-telling of a Bible story, Daniel in the Lion's Den.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (February 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316741310
• ISBN-13: 978-0316741316
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jean Marzollo was born and raised in Manchester, Connecticut.

She says, "As a child, I loved to read and sew dolls' clothes, one outfit after another. I am a graduate of Manchester High School, the University of Connecticut, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. After working as a high school English teacher and editor of Scholastic's "Let's Find Out" kindergarten magazine with Carol Devine Carson for 20 years, I began writing children's books. I have written over 130 books, including the award-winning, best-selling I SPY series for children, written completely in rhythm and rhyme. Rhythm and rhyme are like music without the tune; they lure and excite the ear. Children love rhythm and rhyme, and so do I. Do you know that I SPY actually has the same rhythm as "Old Mother Hubbard" and also rap? I treasure the beautiful, intricate photographs by Walter Wick in the I SPY books. When I wrote the first I SPY book, I automatically thought of kindergarten children so everything that I called for was concrete, something a 5-year-old can find. The result is a hunting game that children and grownups can play together successfully. Sometimes children are better than their parents! In recent years I took up painting and have begun to illustrate my own "books on paper" and "books online." You can see them on my website: jeanmarzollo.com. Writing and illustrating picture books today is as much fun as sewing dolls' clothes was when I was in third grade. As soon as I'm done with one book, I'm happily compelled to start the next."

Jean Marzollo lives in Upstate New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for your child!, June 1, 2004

By 

Sherri R. Myers "book reviewer" (Upper Strasburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miriam and Her Brother Moses (Hardcover)

Jean Marzollo has written and illustrated a retelling of the Bible story about Miriam and her little brother Moses. With colorful drawings (watercolors) and cute little songs, this book is sure to be a hit with your kids. The little fish at the bottom of each page carry on a conversation amongst themselves about the story which is really something different in storytelling. My kids loved this book and I'm sure yours will too.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool storytelling and cute illustrations!, May 30, 2004

By 

Christian Bookshelf "Christian Bookworm Reviews" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miriam and Her Brother Moses (Hardcover)

With cute, quirky illustrations and songs, Jean Marzollo brings us the story of Miriam and her famous brother Moses. This interactive book is sure to engage young readers. What makes the book interactive? The rich history found in the text as well as the illustrations.

Miriam sings cute little songs to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine." Children will probably find the song easy, fun and catchy thus enhancing the reading experience. Before turning the pages, the readers will encounter a curious group of fish at the bottom of each page. Full of questions, these fish invite the read to expect something neat on the next page!

There are quite a few books about Moses, but this one is special because it focuses on the older sister and her valuable role in saving her brother's life.

--- reviewed by Tyora Moody for Christian Bookshelf

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless retelling of how one girl could change history, May 18, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miriam and Her Brother Moses (Hardcover)

Illustrations that are simple almost to the point of abstract are present throughout Miriam And Her Brother Moses, a children's picture book based on the Biblical story of how Miriam rescued Moses as a baby, and how he grew up to free the slaves in Egypt. Jean Marzollo's timeless retelling of how one girl could change history by rescuing an infant in need, and the powerful bonds between adopted siblings, Miriam And Her Brother Moses is highly recommended.