In God's Hands
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Jacob, a rich man, always falls asleep in synagogue, but one day he wakes up just in time to hear the words of Leviticus read: â€˜You shall bake twelve loaves of challah, and set them before Me in two rows, six in each row.' He is certain that God is talking directly to him, so he hurries home and quickly bakes 12 loaves of bread. He brings them to the synagogue and places them in the Holy Ark. David, the poor caretaker, discovers the loaves and believes that they were sent from God to answer his prayers for food to feed his family. Over the years, Jacob's giving and David's receiving become routine. When the rabbi discovers the two men and reveals to them what has been happening, they both learn how their hands have become God's hand in creating a miracle. Based on a traditional folktale, Kushner and Schmidt's retelling is greatly enhanced by Baek's detailed illustrations in deep blues and earth colors. Similar to Aubrey Davis'sBagels from Benny(Kids Can, 2003), this version follows the original more closely and has a slightly more sophisticated message.–Rachel Kamin, Temple Israel Libraries & Media Center, West Bloomfield, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.