Customer Reviews

One City, Two Brothers

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As we are raising our children in an increasingly diverse world, we come in contact with other cultures, ideas, customs, and actions that seem foreign and even frightening. At its heart, this book soothes those fears and builds on the foundation of brotherhood, kindness, and looking beyond the mark to something better.
A good tale about two brothers and their concern for each other- as well as its ramifications into the future. I have never heard this folktale before and was quite enchanted with it. My two daughters loved it and it served to reinforce the values that we are striving to teach them.
The story flowed nicely, with words that were well chosen and added a great pace to the story. The artwork is vivid and unique, a style all its own with great visual impact. This is a great book to have and i am so pleased that i was able to add it to my collection a little earlier than most! :) Highly reccomended!

When two brothers come to Solomon with a dispute about land inheritance, the king tells them the story of two other brothers who secretly transfer grain, each from his own stock to add to his brother's storehouse in the night. In the morning, they are puzzled and dismayed to find their own stores undiminished and, the next night, try again. On the third night, each bearing more sacks of grain for the other, they meet and embrace. This spot becomes the site of the holy temple and the very city of Jerusalem. The legend about Jerusalem has been widely told in English collections of Jewish folklore for generations. What makes this telling different is that Smith, who spent time working in Gaza and the West Bank, now casts it as a Palestinian Arab tale. He steps neutrally through the narrative, except that God is not mentioned as blessing the spot where the two brothers meet. No synagogues are present in any of the city scapes. Asterisks appear near proper names, such as Solomon, where Muslim readers might want to add "may peace be upon him." The production is certainly lovely. Stately Arab brothers move through acrylic blues and greens and reds that fill each page with rich color and simply illuminate the action. Smith took liberty to wrap the story of two loving brothers within the frame of two squabblers, which reinforces the theme of sharing. With his best wishes for peace, it is also unfortunate that Smith gives no sources for his claims in the afterward that this story belongs to both Arabs and Jews. Was it first told by an Arab farmer to a traveler? Is it now told by Arabs who live around Jerusalem? Right now, with Waldman's and Freedman's picture books out of print, this is the only illustrated retelling of the tale. It is a beautiful tale of unselfishness, though not presented here as a Jewish one. For ages 4-8. Reviewed by Sharon Elswit

Chris Smith explains in his author's note that he draws the linked stories of "One City, Two Brothers" not from scripture but from an oral folktale told for generations by both Jews and Arabs living in the Holy Land.

'One City, Two Brothers' by Chris Smith is a striking looking book-Aurelia Fronty, the illustrator has used brilliant blues, greens, orange and reds that instantly attract the eye. The inside cover shows white doves flying by red-heart shaped flowers. Each page is beautifully illustrated and any child or adult will be pleasantly surprised with this book.

The story is one of two parables- two sets of brothers; one who love each other and do everything in their power to share their goods and love each other. The other set are always quarreling and seek Solomon to solve their dilemma. Solomon tells them the story of the two brothers who shared their lives and their goods and the place where they met became a place of peace called Jerusalem. Children will come to understand the moral that loving and assisting each other instead of squabbling with each other is the higher ground and the best road to take. The story of Jerusalem is an additional teaching lesson- both Arabs and Jews want Jerusalem as their own. The history of that area is rich in stories and lore.

'One City, Two Brothers' has been nominated as finalist for the Cybil Awards. "Because The Cybil's is a blogger-run, blogger-inspired awards process, we operate with the expectation of openness and transparency. Any reader can nominate a book through the Cybil blog" Cybil Award Blog

This book receives high marks from me. A beautiful story told in parable form and a beautifully illustrated book with rich strong colors.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 01-02-08

The story of Solomon may be familiar, but this retelling is worthwhile for its modern appeal and beautiful illustrations. This is a folktale told within the context of one of Solomon's judgments, being about two brothers arguing before the wise king. He tells them the story of another pair of brothers being kind to one another, and enlightens the feuding siblings. The illustrations are colorful and interesting, but what sets the book apart, to me, is the historical information about Jerusalem and religion and history which comes after the story. Nicely done.

The illustrations are pleasant enough, not thrilling, but the bold, deep colors are very nice. The story is about two long-ago brothers who share a wheat harvest each year. One year the older brother decides to secretly give some of his grain to the younger brother, who has no kids to support him. At the same time the younger brother decides to secretly give some of his grain to the married-with-children older brother, who has mouths to feed. They both are wondering where the extra grain is coming from and eventually they find out -- and on that spot on the hill where they bump into each other sneaking grain to each other in the night, Jerusalem is founded.
A couple extra pages in the back tell of the origin of the story and a little history of the city.
All in all a nice, simple little thoughtful tale.

This is nicely constructed book. I thought the illustrations were nice and it is a good length for a bed time story. The story is a simple Judaic parable about fraternity and the foundation of the city of Jerusalem that King Solomon tells to two squabbling brothers.

My kids thought the story was OK, they prefer the Mr. Men Gift Set (Mr. Men and Little Miss) and Walking Through the Jungle Big Book.

This very appealing folktale (reportedly told by both Jews and Arabs for centuries) is framed as a story within a story.

Two brothers quarrel over an inheritance, and listen to King Solomon retell an ancient tale about the founding of Al-Quds (Arabic), also known as Yerushalaym (Hebrew), also known as Jerusalem. This city is literally built around a hill where two brothers discover the depth of their loving generosity and self-sacrifice towards each other.

After hearing King Solomon's tale, the two quarreling brothers decide they will share the inheritance, and they and their families live "happily ever after."

The illustrations are bright and evocative, painted in a primitive style that is sure to please young listeners/readers.

Some adults may find the story rather simplistic and/or poignant, given the situation in the Middle East today. However, children are sure to appreciate it as a straightforward tale about approaching quarrels and problems with a generous and giving spirit.

Jerusalem is a place where people have fought over it for centuries. Here is a folk tale told by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike about two brothers who created Jerusalem by their desire to share their food and lives together. It isn't a story that focuses on religion but it does have a theme of sharing and looking out for others. Two brothers help harvest their crop together then split it in two. The other brother is convinced that the other needs more food in order to survive and secretly places 3 extra sacks of grain into their grain stores. Of course, each brother comes out even but where will the antics end? A very nice, simple clever story. I highly recommend it. Barefoot Books is a publisher of great children's books.

This beautifully illustrated book presents a story within a story, as King Solomon tells an ancient tale in order to arbitrate a dispute between two brothers. This parable tells of two brothers who each places the well-being of his sibling ahead of his own. The resulting confusion will provide a chuckle for children, but the ultimate message of giving of ourselves to help each other is badly needed in today's world.

Children will love this book for its story, but parents can use it as a starting point for discussions about loving our neighbors and about the importance of helping others. The appendix about Jerusalem also points to the larger lessons of peace that can be taken from this ancient folk tale.

One City, Two Brothers is a clever frame story in which two brothers bring a land dispute before King Solomon at his palace in Jerusalem. The wise king tells them a tale of two brothers who lived in separate villages on either side of a hill. They were blessed with a particularly bountiful crop and one brother decides to sneak around the hill and leave some of his sacks of grain in his brother's stores, only to find the next morning that none of the sacks of grain in his own stores were missing. This occurs again the next night, as well. On the third night, the mystery is solved and as King Solomon's tale ends, the two brothers before him are reconciled and go on to recount the Kings story to their children and grandchildren.

King Solomon is a figure in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and his tale of generosity and brotherly love is a wonderful parable that has obvious parallels in our modern world. The hill between the two brothers' villages in his story is where the city of Jerusalem is eventually built. The end notes after the story are a particularly nice addition; they add context and some history about Jerusalem as well as some insight into the various cultures that struggle to coexist there.

My five year old loves this story because of the surprise ending. Beyond the historical and political threads woven throughout, this tale is a very simple story on being kind to others and the value of family. We both love the art. It is bold and rich and there are splashes of red on nearly every page, which jump out from the serene blues, greens and tans. This is a wonderful title to give as a gift this holiday season, but it can be enjoyed year-round.