Ten Good Rules: A Ten Commandments Counting Book

Plot

From School Library Journal
PreS—Originally published in 1991 with drawings by Rosalyn Schanzer, this book has been re-illustrated with Cohen's clear, colorful photographs. It opens with the flight of the Jews from Egypt and assumes basic familiarity with the story of the Exodus. The very simple text explains the essence of the 10 commandments, using the Jewish division of the Exodus passage (Protestants and Catholics group the 14 imperative statements from the Bible differently). Each one is introduced by a child dressed like Moses, holding a stone tablet that shows a commandment number and the corresponding rule. The facing page features a delightfully natural photo of preschoolers acting out the idea behind it. The book is clearly aimed at a Jewish audience, as evidenced by use of the word "Shabbat" and illustrations depicting challah, a Torah scroll, and the wearing of kippot. Traditional family structure, as described in the original commandments, is not reinterpreted; same-sex or divorced parents may have trouble with the wording and illustrations for "love your mother and father" and "married people should love each other" (i.e., you shall not commit adultery). An excellent teaching tool, attractively updated to appeal to today's more design-conscious kids, this is a must-have for early childhood teachers in Jewish settings, and a solid choice for Jewish families.