By: A. S. Gadot
Illustrated by: Cecilia Rebora
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
Publication Date: January 2010
ISBN: 978-0822599173
Reviewed byL Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 5, 2010
Everyone in the Land of Shinar, including all the animals, appeared to be happy and content. The snake charmer charmed his snake by the gate to the city, the carpet salesman held aloft a striped carpet to show to some women, and a vendor smiled as she sold her wares. Even the cow, the goat, and a wide-eyed dog seemed happy. It was a land where everyone spoke the same language and so they all understood each other. Everyone went about their same old predictable routines and had the same old questions for one another like, "Why doesn't Purim come twice a year?" or "Is a pocket with a hole in it---and nothing else---empty or full." Life never did change in the valley. It was actually boring, quite boring indeed!
One day all the people were thinking that they truly wanted something exciting to happen in the Valley of Shinar, but just what was the question because "it was absolutely clear ... the time had come for something new, something unusual, to happen." Everyone smiled, threw up their hands (including the cat, the parrot and the snake), and put on their thinking caps. There were a few propositions, including looking to the Internet, but they'd have to think harder because Google hadn't been invented. "Let's build a tower," shouted out a small boy. Without any plans the tower wended its way toward the sky, leaning a bit this way and a bit that a way. And then a bit there. No one seemed to realize what a mess it was nor did they notice the odd crookedness because all of a sudden no one could understand the next guy - everyone was speaking a different language. What was going to happen in the Valley of Shinar when people couldn't understand each other ?
This is a comical re-telling of a Bible story that will tickle the funny bone of even the most die-hard curmudgeon. The artwork had a light cartoon aura about it that was very appealing. As the tale moves along it is fun to look at the busy pages and find things like the wiggly-eyed dog and watch the Keystone cops approach to build the tower. It's always fun to introduce fairy tales or Biblical stories in books like this because the slightly silly quality makes them memorable and educational. Once they are presented in this manner they just seem to "stick" in your head and bring a smile to your face when you remember them.
Quill says: If you'd like to read a slightly zany, lotta fun story about the Tower of "babble," you might want to add this one to your list!
