(4) K-3 Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. In this group of haiku, the world of nature is observed from a child's perspective. Rain, clouds, cats, bugs, and birds all make appearances in poems that are sprightly and charming if somewhat trite. Whimsical watercolor and ink illustrations accompany the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Stephen Fieser. The story of Hanukkah is folded into the story of narrator Alexandra and her coming of age as a young Jew in Judea circa 165 B.C.E. Alexandra's mother encourages her writing talent and convinces Alexandra that the times in which they live must be recorded. Chaikin tells many stories at once; Fieser follows the strands with vibrant art that captures the generalities of wartime oppression and the particularities of child friendship.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Alexander Koshkin. In this companion to Clouds of Glory, Chaikin limits her Midrashim to eighteen stories that trace the activity of God's angelic messengers on earth as they aid Moses after he has freed the Israelites. Blakean watercolors interpret the majesty of the celestial and the earthiness of the wilderness and its mountains. Comprehensive endnotes indicate what was drawn from the Bible and what from legend. Bib.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(1) 4-6 Following a readable, informative introduction are twenty-one retellings of Midrash stories that range from accounts of the creation and the flood to the binding of Isaac. The personalities in the stories are familiar reflections of ourselves, and the stories underline a common bond. Handsomely produced, dramatically illustrated, appropriately documented, and stylishly narrated. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.