The Waiting Wall
PreSchool-Grade 3—The text describes the experience of visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem: "You will move past the others toward the Kosel [Wall], and there it will be, waiting for you." An unnamed boy and girl are shown in each illustration, acting as avatars for readers. The pace of the story is calm and thoughtfully poetic as it describes the physical space, the behavior of visitors ("Some cry because they are happy. Some cry because they are sad"), the plant and animal life that thrives among the stones, and the notes for God people leave in the Wall's cracks. The story ends on a hopeful note as it imagines the joy the Wall's visitors will feel when the Messiah comes. The Wall dominates each illustration, but changes in perspective maintain interest. The soft, warm colors of Jerusalem stone infuse each spread with light. The book is for an Orthodox Jewish audience, and Hebrew vocabulary (Ashkenazi pronunciation) is used within the text without explanation. However, a short glossary is included, and an adult reading the book to non-Orthodox children can easily substitute words or pronunciations. This is a gentle yet powerful meditation that makes the Jewish feeling for the Western Wall accessible to children, and the strong sense of place makes it an excellent virtual field trip.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FLCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.