Angels Sweep the Desert Floor: Bible Legends About Moses in the Wilderness

by Miriam Chaikin, Alexander Koshkin (Illustrator)

Rabbis in ancient times believed that the answers to all questions could be found somewhere in the Bible. “Turn it and turn it, for everything is in it,” they said. Each answer the rabbis found became a type of story, a midrash. Miriam Chaikin examines familiar midrashim, or stories from the Old Testament. This collection of eighteen moving and lyrical tales follows Moses and the Israelites as they wander the desert, sate their hunger with manna bread, receive the Ten Commandments, and, ultimately, reach the Holy Land. Glowing paintings capture the majesty of heaven and the grace of angels who watch over the Israelites during their difficult journey. Biblical notes, bibliography.

102 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2002

About the author

Miriam Chaikin was born in Jerusalem and raised in New York. She served as editor-in-chief of children s books in various publishing houses and has published over thirty books for children of all ages. In 1984 she won the Sydney Taylor Award for Body of Work.

Reviews

[Joshua Gage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this book. I read this as research, hoping for a stripped down version of Midrash stories. Chaikin does a good job distilling the stories for a young audience, but it's one legend broken into small chapters. I was hoping for multiple stories, but what's here is very well done. The illustrations work well with the stories.