Jerusalem, Shining Still

Rating:
Summary: This book shines as surely as its subject!
Review: It is a great pity that this book is out of print, because it is a lovely work of art, both visually and verbally. The story of Jerusalem is told in a beautiful, poetic style, with certain themes circling and echoing through the text ("When times are bad, they will get better"). The author does an amazing job of giving children the sense of the vast sweep of time, and of the ebb and flow of peoples who have come and gone from the Holy Land. The book does not talk down to children; instead, it leads them along, using ancient forms of repetition to reinforce their memory for each stage of Jerusalem's history. This book is a gem. If you can get the on-tape version, you will be delighted both by the voice of the storyteller and of the background music. This book has become part of my storytelling library; it will take some practice to memorize it all, but what a wonderful, shining story to tell!