 |
Queen Esther Seeking Permission to Speak, 2009
Mosiac by Lilian Broca |
My favorite Old Testament Bible story growing up was about a Jewish girl named Esther. Not just because I was drawn to fairy tales and pretty princesses (and this fit in that category perfectly), but mainly because I admired her courage and bravery in facing the King in order to save her people, her love for her Uncle Mordecai, and how she outsmarted the villain, Haman! She was my childhood hero(ine).
In my younger years, I was plagued by recurring and painful ear infections. Late one night, during one of these uncomfortable episodes, I remember asking my mother to read the story of Esther to me from our family Bible. I was distracted for a little while, imagining the whole action-packed tale in my mind and picturing the beautiful young Queen asking King Ahasuerus for permission to enter his court and speak to him, unbidden. I wanted to be brave, like her.
So in honor of Esther, and since
Purim starts tomorrow at sundown, I hope you'll read her story to your daughters. She's a wonderful role model of courage and loyalty...
QUEEN ESTHER
retold in words and pictures by Katy Keck Arnsteen.
THE QUEEN WHO SAVED HER PEOPLE
(Arch book) by Carol Greene.
QUEEN ESTHER SAVES HER PEOPLE
by Rita Golden Gelman, illustrations by Frane Lessac.
THE STORY OF QUEEN ESTHER
by Jenny Koralek, illustrations by Griselda Holderness.
, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. (From the King James version, text chosen by Helen Dean Fish) ages 9-12.
by Walter de la Mare. It is part of public domain and you can view it online HERE.
: Aslan with Susan and Lucy
, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
). She also did a magnificent job creating the detailed map of Middle Earth and some of the cover artwork for Tolkien's first-edition paperback Lord of the Rings. 
(which have sold over 100 million copies) and will forever be linked with those seven stories...but she also illustrated over 100 other books, many of which - in her later career - were of a religious theme.
(This book is out of print - beautiful illustrations!)
I hope you'll go and find a Peter Spier book at the library or bookstore after you see this blog post! Perfect for relaxing summer days, Peter Spier's (often wordless or nearly wordless) stories are beautifully illustrated with delicate black line drawings and watercolor wash. The pictures are so filled with detail, you can get lost in them!
- watch as an empty field gets transformed into a Big Top village, as the circus rolls into town!
- find out what happens when two very bored brothers decide to build an airplane. (This was one of my husband's favorite books to read with our kids.)
(Caldecott Medal Winner) - in this almost wordless book, the illustrations provide us with a nonverbal story of Noah and give great perspective to the enormous task ahead of him.
- somehow all the sights, sounds, joys, and gentle chaos of a family Christmas are portrayed in this book. Without words. Love it!
