The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba [Hardcover]

Sheldon Oberman (Author), Neil Waldman (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oberman draws on biblical and traditional Jewish and African tales for this clever and affecting story. When the Queen of Sheba hears that King Solomon is the wisest of all men, she journeys with her entourage to Jerusalem to meet him. After a grand reception, she requests that he teach her what he can do with his knowledge. He promises to perform whatever task she sets, and the queen asks him to build a palace out of bird beaks. As Solomon summons all the birds to take their beaks, the hoopoe bird tempts Solomon with three riddles, "three things you do not know." The riddles lead Solomon to realize the irreparable harm he is contemplating and he tells the hoopoe, "I will not hurt you or any creature just to show my power." He then apologizes to the queen. She responds, "I wanted you to teach me something important, and you did. You taught me it is better to break a promise than do something that is wrong." Waldman (previously paired with Oberman for By the Hanukkah Light) captures the thoughtfulness of the two main characters and subtly plays up the differences between them. His Sheba is a poised, dark-skinned woman in royal African attire, replete with magnificent headdress; his Solomon, dressed simply with tallis and kippah, has a flowing red beard and long hair. The full-spread illustrations, which combine compositions in Waldman's impressionistic style with geometric patterned frames, suggest the multiple origins of the story. Ages 6-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Based upon an amalgam of African and Jewish folktales, this is a charming story told in pictorial, musical language. Hearing of King Solomon's incomparable wisdom, the Queen of Sheba journeys to Jerusalem to question and learn from him. She then challenges him to use his knowledge for a special task, and he agrees without knowing what it is. He is disturbed to hear that she wants him to build a palace of bird beaks. Sadly, all the birds gather obediently to make the sacrifice. The last to arrive is the hoopoe, who poses three significant, beak-saving questions to the wise king, ending the tale with a significant truth. In a large, decorative format, with the text and acrylic illustrations handsomely framed upon pages in a variety of subtle colors, bordered by elegant abstract designs, the king and queen, the city of Jerusalem, and the many beautiful birds shine forth in full splendor.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; 1ST edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563978164
• ISBN-13: 978-1563978166
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,575,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Learning Experience, May 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba (Hardcover)

THE WISDOM BIRD is the story of the meeting of two cultures.....Black African and Jewish, told through the legendary meeting of Solomon and Sheba. It also presents parents and teachers with a wonderful opportunity to teach children respect for other cultures, and the creatures of the earth. In the story, a small bird uses its wisdom to convince a king and queen that they are acting in an immoral way. The bird's ingenious tactics can lead children to understandings about human nature, and the book is a wonderful jumping off point for discussions with kids. The artwork is beautiful. I give this one an A plus!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Heard the Story Live, January 3, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba (Hardcover)

The author Mr. Oberman came to our school and told the story and it was really great. It was great story and I learned about Jewish people and African people and how everyone can learn something froim somebody, even from a little bird. The pictures are also really terrific

3 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing, March 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba (Hardcover)

The illustrations in this book greatly disturb me. Because, from my understanding King Solomon was a black man. I think it is a great insult to the original people of this planet that you make the man proclaimed to be the wisest leader ever out to be a caucasian. You do a disservice to white society by elevating the notion of white supremacy and a disservice to the black man by falsifying his past.

The illustrations in this book need to be redone or the book pulled from publication.