The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century [Hardcover]

Uri Shulevitz (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century

Imagine a time when streets were narrow and dirty, towns were surrounded by walls, brigands lurked alongside roads that were treacherous and few, bridges over rivers were rare, and a man setting out on a journey never knew if he would return alive. It was the year 1159 when the medieval Jewish traveler Benjamin left his native town of Tudela in northern Spain on an adventure to see the places he had read about in the Bible. He traveled for fourteen years - from Rome to Constantinople to Jerusalem to Baghdad, among others - by ship, by cart, and on foot, enduring great hardships in his quest for knowledge of other places and people.

Working from Benjamin's original chronicle, written in Hebrew, as well as other sources on the period, Uri Shulevitz captures the true spirit of this amazing adventurer, using a text written in the first person and superlative illustrations.

 

The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela is a 2006 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 4-8–Benjamin, a Spanish Jew, left his native town of Tudela in 1159 to embark on a 14-year journey across the Middle East. His Book of Travels, written in Hebrew, recounts his grueling, often-dangerous journey through what is modern-day France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt. Encounters with warring Crusaders and Muslims, rapacious pirates, and bandits added to his hardships. Shulevitz re-creates this epic journey in a picture book of epic proportions, adapting Benjamin's account into a detailed, first-person narrative, accompanied by large, ambitious illustrations that evoke the landscapes, people, architecture, and history of the places that Benjamin saw. Darker, freer, and more impressionistic than Shulevitz's familiar work, the art is often indebted to medieval manuscript painting and Persian miniatures. Meticulously researched, with a long bibliography, lengthy author's note, and brief insets containing information that complements Benjamin's descriptions, this oversize picture book is obviously a labor of love. Wherever he went, Benjamin visited Jewish communities. Shulevitz's retelling stands as a testimony to the history, wisdom, and fortitude of those medieval Jews living precariously under Christian or Muslim rule. Both art and text will help readers imagine life during that time and, perhaps, provide a context for the contemporary turmoil in the lands Benjamin visited so long ago.–Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 4-7. At first blush, the story of a bona fide twelfth-century Jewish wanderer might not seem the stuff of picture books, even for older readers. But this is so uniquely rendered that it proves, along with other recently published titles, that outstanding execution can draw readers to almost any subject. This fictional account follows Benjamin on a 14-year trip, which takes him from his home in Spain to historic cities of the ancient world: Rome, Babylon, Baghdad, and Jerusalem, among others. Illness, hunger, thirst, thieves, and assassins plague the journey. Yet there are also wonderful adventures, mystical stories, and fabulous sights, such as the pyramids. Told in an expansive first-person narrative, the book is filled with a bazaar's worth of detail, with unobtrusive sidebars explaining text references. In an extensive author's note, Shulevitz discusses how, beginning with Benjamin's actual diary in the original Hebrew, he faced the task of making the mostly factual reporting appealing by adding incidents found in other books. An extensive bibliography lists his sources, but, unfortunately, there are no specifics about the experiences he took from them. It's no surprise that Shulevitz, a Caldecott winner, provides splendid illustrations, but he outdoes himself here. The richly painted scenes, which vary in style and color according to their location, are highlighted by collage accents. Together with the evocative text, they capture the sweep of mysterious and faraway places. For other stories of intrepid travelers, see the adjacent Read-alikes column. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374377545
• ISBN-13: 978-0374377540
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discoveries
  • #93 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Middle East

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Journey, March 16, 2006

By 

Janie Grackin "Jewish Storyteller" (Palm Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century (Hardcover)

Beautifully written and illustrated, The Travels of Bejamin of Tudela takes us on an incredible journey through the ancient Jewish world into the Diaspora nine hundred years ago. As the story unfolds, we visit one enchanting city after another and experience with our imaginations and amazing illustrations the sights, sounds, and smells of each beautiful and mysterious location. Don't miss this great adventure!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative!, June 14, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century (Hardcover)

In 1159, Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish man living in Spain, set out on a 14 year journey across the Mediterranean Sea and through the Middle East. His Hebrew-language journal is a wonderful look into the world of the twelfth century, but it is not accessible to many people. Well, in this wonderful book, author Uri Shulevitz retells Benjamin's story for the younger reader!

Large and lavishly illustrated, this book does an excellent job of retelling Benjamin's story in a manner that is easily grasped by the younger reader. But, don't write this book off as mere childishness. Not being content to merely entertain, the author includes a number of interesting sidebars, in which he explains things being discussed.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book - entertaining and informative. I highly recommend this book to those who have younger readers who want something distinctly non-childish. I highly recommend this book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story, lovely pictures, January 10, 2007

By 

JH (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela: Through Three Continents in the Twelfth Century (Hardcover)

I read this with my 7-year-old daughter, and we both loved it. It's a fascinating story that effortlessly weaves in history and geography. The pictures are beautiful.