Let My People Go!

June 1, 2008
K-Gr 3-The biblical story of the Exodus tells how God, through Moses, prevailed upon the hard-hearted Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery by sending 10 terrible plagues to Egypt. This slim picture book retells the story in rhyme. Bright cartoonlike illustrations bring an over-the-top humor that cannot quite mask the horror of a river turned to blood or of dying cattle. The lighthearted verse is slightly forced, but bounces along at a rollicking pace. The most interesting aspect of the book is the color coding that allows it to be used as a reader's theater script. Note, however, that the parts vary in difficulty. The narrator is assigned a great deal of complex reading, while most other parts are short and repetitive. The end, when Pharaoh finally lets the Israelites go, comes abruptly and does not include the parting of the Red Sea. This book will be welcome in Jewish and Christian educational settings and may enliven family Passover Seders, but it does not provide enough context for general readers to make sense of the glossed-over terrors within."Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL"

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