And There Was Evening, and There Was Morning

November 15, 2018
Preschool-G Helfand and Zager retell the Old Testament creation story using rhyming couplets and detailed full-color illustrations. "The world began when God said 'light,' / And changed the world from dark to bright." As the days proceed, land and sea are separated, plants begin to grow, seasons arrive, animals appear, and finally, humans are created and all is good. Shabbat follows for rest. Each day is presented in a single spread, except for day six, which expands to three. Zager's illustrations adopt a mostly muted palette and incorporate Hebrew letters into the objects depicted. For example, the spread for day two includes a navy sky, lighter blue seas, and waves composed of repeating Hebrew symbols for mayim, or water. As the earth becomes more complex, so does the art, with the spreads for day six complex and compelling close scrutiny. Appended with a glossary of Hebrew words depicted, this is a worthy addition to religious school collections, especially where Hebrew is spoken.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 15, 2018
In the beginning, the world was created one day at a time, according to the Creation story of the Jewish tradition. Day by day, employing simple, descriptive, accessible language, Helfand and Zager describe the first seven days of our world. The first five days are each recounted in a double-page spread, a four-line stanza in aabb verse followed by the mantra "and there was evening and there was morning" with an appropriate description of the particular day, whether it be peaceful or noisy or lively. Day Six is described in three sets of verses, being the day on which a plethora of living things is added to those created on Day Five. Preceding the seventh day there is a quotation from the siddur, the Jewish liturgy, which describes the completion of God's work. Therefore the seventh day is not numbered but named Shabbat, the holy day of rest. Zager's imaginative, distinctive illustrations are composed from images created from Hebrew letters that reflect the words of each verse and are so intricately designed as to demand close, careful, and repeated perusal. The book is aimed at young Jewish readers, especially those who are studying or already know their "aleph-bet," able to read Hebrew. But there is definite appeal across religions and culture in the format, concept, and construction of the work. A picture glossary provides a key to the illustrations and the Hebrew words they are derived from.Soaring, uplifting, and utterly beautiful. (Picture book/religion. 5-10)

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