And Shira Imagined

Plot

A young girl visits Israel and envisions the history of the sites she sees.

From Publishers Weekly
As Shira and her parents travel around Israel, her parents remind her of the significance of each site, which she interprets in her own way: when told that busy, modern Tel Aviv was only sand and dust 80 years ago, Shira pictures herself and some toy-like creatures building sandcastles; when she hears that the old fortress, Masada, was the place where the Jews clashed with the Romans, Shira imagines a playful battle. A historical theme is not strictly adhered to; at one point her parents point out the Red Sea, saying, "Just imagine, we'll be looking at thousands of fish and swimming with them." In the final frame, Shira envisions her bedroom back in America, where the cast of her imagination awaits herher toys. Black-and-white pictures of modern Israel alternate with the full-color fantasies. The language of the telling is simple and straightforward; this complements the elaborate pictures from Carmi's own fanciful imagination. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Shira visits Israel with her parents who tell her a little about each place, trying to convey and share a sense of awe and accomplishment. Included in each description is the phrase, "Can you imagine that, Shira?"; the concluding sentence is, "And Shira imagined." Shira imagines each scene quite literally, "peopled" by strange creatures engaged in some amusing but relevant activity; i.e., attempting to scale Massada, or building cities from the sand at Tel Aviv. Black-and-white drawings illustrate the Israeli cities or landmarks, while the scenes that Shira imagines are drawn in full-color double-page spreads. Information here is accurate, although brief, and the facts are those most likely to interest children. The process of incorporating basic information works well, capitalizing as it does on the fact that the young child tends to personalize history by relating it to the familiar. Unfortunately it is not obvious that the strange characters in the color illustrations are in fact Shira's stuffed animals until the last page when they appear in her room, drawn to scale. Children may be confused by these creatures. Nonetheless, they are colorful and interesting, and it is possible to re-read the book looking for familiar figures. --Susan Kaminow, Westover Branch Library, Arlington, Va.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
A young girl visits Israel and envisions the history of the sites she sees.