The Treasure (Sunburst Book) [Paperback]

Uri Shulevitz (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1986 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Sunburst Book

Three times a voice comes to Isaac in his dreams and tells him to go to the capital city and look for a treasure under the bridge by the royal palace. Feeling a little foolish perhaps, but determined to see for himself if the dream is true, Isaac sets out on his long journey. What he finds makes a surprising and heart-warming ending to this retelling of a well-known folk tale. In a few words, Cadelcott Medal winner Uri Shulevitz draws a man who is innocent enough to have faith in a dream, and wise enough to understand the greatest reward of all.

Isaac's solitary journey, his arrival at hte vast city, and his discovery there are all enriched by Mr. Shulevitz's beautifully detailed illustrations, which masterfully capture the spirit of the original tale while keeping it simple enough for the very youngest reader.

 

The Treasure is a 1980 Caldecott Honor Book and a 1979 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rich full-color illustrations provide a fresh and vigorous interpretation of the familiar story of a poor man who, inspired by a recurring dream, journeys to a far city to look for a treasure-only to be advised to return home and find it." --The Horn Book.

A "perfect blend of words and pictures. . .A must purchase." --Starred, School Library Journal

About the Author

Uri Shulevitz is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author. He was born in Warsaw, Poland, on February 27, 1935. He began drawing at the age of three and, unlike many children, never stopped. The Warsaw blitz occurred when he was four years old, and the Shulevitz family fled. For eight years they were wanderers, arriving, eventually, in Paris in 1947. There Shulevitz developed an enthusiasm for French comic books, and soon he and a friend started making their own. At thirteen, Shulevitz won first prize in an all-elementary-school drawing competition in Paris's 20th district.

 

In 1949, the family moved to Israel, where Shulevitz worked a variety of jobs: an apprentice at a rubber-stamp shop, a carpenter, and a dog-license clerk at Tel Aviv City Hall. He studied at the Teachers' Institute in Tel Aviv, where he took courses in literature, anatomy, and biology, and also studied at the Art Institute of Tel Aviv. At fifteen, he was the youngest to exhibit in a group drawing show at the Tel Aviv Museum.

 

At 24 he moved to New York City, where he studied painting at Brooklyn Museum Art School and drew illustrations for a publisher of Hebrew books. One day while talking on the telephone, he noticed that his doodles had a fresh and spontaneous look—different from his previous illustrations. This discovery was the beginning of Uri's new approach to his illustrations for The Moon in My Room, his first book, published in 1963. Since then he was written and illustrated many celebrated children’s books. He won the Caldecott Medal for The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, written by Arthur Ransome. He has also earned three Caldecott Honors, for The Treasure, Snow and How I Learned Geography. His other books include One Monday Morning, Dawn, So Sleepy Story, and many others. He also wrote the instructional guide Writing with Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (September 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374479550
• ISBN-13: 978-0374479558
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Jewish
  • #99 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Religious Fiction > Jewish

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A treasure in an unexpected place., May 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Treasure (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

This short children's story is about an elderly man who is told in a dream to travel a long distance to a city to find a treasure. He finds it in an unexpected place; not where he expected. A book that children will enjoy for a long time. The book was a 1980 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Indeed!, August 22, 2004

By 

R, your friendly neighborhood reviewer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Treasure (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

When I first read this book I had no idea how good it was going to be. The illustrations are some of the best I've seen in chidren's picture books.

A poor, old man has a dream that keeps haunting him. The dreams tells him to go to a far of land to find a great treasure.
So he does search far away until he finds the exact spot his dream mentions. But theres a problem: the place is guarded. The man confronts a guard and tells him about the dream. The guard in turn gives him a lecture-like talk about how if he had followed one of his dreams he would find a treasure in some poor, old mans house. This house, of course, is our stories hero. The man journeys back to his home and finds his treasure. He's even kind enough,after becoming rich, to send the guard a priceless ruby.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Thanksgiving, He Built a House of Prayer..., April 9, 2006

By 

Lightman (New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Treasure (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

This beautiful book tells a story of seeking and ultimately of finding - albeit in a place most unexpected.

The tale begins simply. On a blank page is written, "There once was a man and his name was Isaac."

Isaac lives a difficult life of great poverty and need. Then he has a dream in which a voice tells him to go to the capital city in search of a treasure hidden under the bridge by the royal palace. At first he disregards this; but after the dream repeats itself for the third time, he sets off on a quest.

Shulevitz' illustrations have a magical glow about them. It is as if the very landscape is speaking to the existence of something hidden - something that vibrates just beneath the surface of all things. The designation of this work as a Caldecott Honor Book in 1980 recognizes this high level of artistry.

In the end Isaac's perseverance and obedience are rewarded. And rather than simply taking, he gives back something in return. "In thanksgiving, he built a house of prayer, and in one of its corners he put an inscription: Sometimes one must travel far to discover what is near."

The picture of the house of prayer emanates an ethereal light. And as the book is put down the reader realizes that a lovely blessing has been conferred.