School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-When Moses's mother learns of the Pharaoh's command that all male Hebrew babies be thrown in the river, she makes a papyrus cradle in which to lay her infant son. She and her daughter Miriam place him on the water, and Miriam assures her that when the princess walks by, she will save the child. Staying true to the Old Testament tale, Koralek keeps a reverential tone and tells the story using accessible though not oversimplified language. The beautifully rendered artwork is well placed and successfully evokes a strong sense of place and time.-Leslie Barban, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Invitingly told in words and pictures, the story of Moses among the bullrushes receives a streamlined, child-friendly adaptation. While passages from Exodus precede the narrative, Koralek (Night Ride to Nanna's) immediately homes in on the drama, so that it is up to presiding adults to supply a biblical or cultural context. The author briefly describes the Hebrew slaves in Egypt and the fearful Pharaoh's decree that their baby boys be cast into the river, and then she introduces the mother determined to save her son by weaving him a boatlike basket. Her telling takes a universal approach, highlighting the heroism of the baby's sister, Miriam, in her role as the baby's protector, and the kindness of the Pharoah's daughter, whose sympathy for an abandoned Hebrew baby saves the infant who will become Moses. Baynes, best known for her illustrations for the original Narnia books, delivers masterly paintings that specifically evoke ancient Egyptian art in their perspectives but that retain a contemporary sense of color and motion. Presented in a range of sizes and laid out in various ways, the illustrations fluidly and spontaneously advance the story. Ages 3-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Flat, angular figures illustrate this brief re-imagining of the Hebrew slaves' plight in ancient Egypt. The focus, however, is on the baby Moses, his mother's sadness then joy, and his sister's confidence in his safety. Perspective and a sense of movement increase as the story progresses. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Koralek gracefully retells the Old Testament story of Moses in the bulrushes in lyrical prose complemented by stylized paintings from Baynes. The large, attractive illustrations often incorporate the conventions of ancient Middle Eastern art with patterned borders, earth tones, and the distinctive, flat portrayal of the human figure in profile associated with early artifacts. The illustrations also include well-researched details of daily life in Biblical times, such as costumes and hairstyles, as well as birds, animals, and plants of the region. The author creates believable dialogue for the main characters, effectively capturing the emotions of the mother and sister of Moses, who manage to save him through their own witty scheme. The thoughtful retelling and striking illustrations make this a fine choice for reading aloud in group settings. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 1. Koralek focuses here on a small piece of the familiar Old Testament story about baby Moses in the bulrushes. The largely straightforward retelling, enlivened by quotes, begins with the cruel pharaoh's decree that every baby boy born to a Hebrew slave was to be thrown into the river. The pictures tell the story with equal clarity: the slaves at work, the pharaoh's whips, the discovery of the baby in the basket, Miriam's bold plan, and the joyous family reunion. Baynes' gently textured illustrations have the feel of ancient Egyptian art in the geometrically patterned borders surrounding the pictures, the flattened shapes of the characters, clothing details, and stark backgrounds. The earth-tone colors are enlivened and softened with shades of turquoise and daubs of bright orange and gold. This unpretentious, accessible segment of a familiar story will work well on its own, as a preamble to the longer story, or, for older children, as a springboard for a simple discussion of slavery then and now. --Stephanie Zvirin Copyright 2003 Booklist
