Miriam at the River

by Jane Yolen, Khoa Le (Illustrator)

Overview

The biblical story of baby Moses as told by his big sister.

Giving her baby brother a kiss, brave little Miriam places Moses's basket into the river. With one quick push, she sends him into the water, hoping her wish will come true and her brother will be saved from Pharaoh's orders. But will Pharaoh's daughter arrive in time to rescue him?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541544017
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/04/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,068,437
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.13(d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jane Yolen lives in Massachusetts and has written more than 400 books across all genres and age ranges, including the Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. In 2022 she was named the The Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Winner. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century.

Khoa Le has illustrated picture books published in a number of different countries, including the 2020 Sydney Taylor Honor book Miriam at the River. She is also an author, a graphic designer, and a painter. Khoa has a passion for travel, an eagerness to learn about different cultures, and a desire to discover the beauty of the world. Her inner moth makes her attracted to any source of light, but her dream is to one day see the northern lights. She lives in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, with her five cats.

Editorial Reviews

"Miriam at the River, is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Khoa Le. It is the story of baby Moses, left by his sister to float down the Nile. It is told from seven-year-old Miriam’s point of view, using Ms Yolen’s well-loved lyrical prose. From the very first sentence, 'I creep to the riverside in the soft dark of night’s end' readers know they are in for a special treat. And we are not disappointed. Khoa Le fills each page with graceful illustrations that compliment the flowing text. The story weaves through so seamlessly, that the reader floats down the river with baby Moses, taking in the words that follow the small ark on its journey. Miriam at the River will be a treasured book during Passover and all throughout the year." — Marcia Berneger, San Diego Jewish World

From the Publisher

02/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—Miriam takes readers with her as she heads to the Nile at night to set her infant brother adrift in a woven basket. Then she hides to watch as the basket floats past wading birds and a curious hippo until a beautiful young woman commands her handmaidens to rescue the boy. Miriam hurries away to tell her parents that the baby has a name (Moses) and a home. Miriam's trust in God calms her fears, even as she envisions a massive parting of water that she cannot interpret. This glimpse into the future references her role as prophet and leader as recounted in Exodus and Midrash tales. Yolen provides details about Miriam and Moses in notes at the book's end, but it is her own poetic language that brings Miriam's story to life. Le's evocative illustrations shimmer on the page with intense colors and patterns, chronicling Moses's watery journey and Miriam's careful observations. Since neither Yolen's picture book text nor end notes explain Pharaoh's decree, readers unaware of the original story may wonder why the baby had to be hidden in the first place. VERDICT This engaging retelling of the early life of Miriam and Moses will be of particular interest to those familiar with the biblical story, while other readers will appreciate the courage of the young heroine.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

School Library Journal

01/13/2020

Many families have added a “Miriam’s cup” to their seder table in recognition of the important role played by the sister of Moses. With luxuriant visuals and rhythmic, emotionally intense language, Le and Yolen recount the siblings’ backstory. Before sunrise, hidden by “sedge, bulrush, papyrus, reeds” (the papyrus are especially beautiful, imagined here as blue fans striped in red and gold), seven-year-old Miriam stealthily but resolutely slips the handwoven basket containing Moses onto the sparkling, sumptuously swirling turquoise waters of the Nile; storks, ibis, and a curious hippo watch as he floats away and into the arms of Pharaoh’s beautiful daughter, whose billowing robes and hair mirror the movements of the water and reeds. Yolen puts readers inside Miriam’s mind as the girl carries out her mission and realizes she is part of a bigger destiny. Pharaoh’s daughter will mother the child, “who will capture her heart, / until another water parts,” and “some day, all the world/ will know my brother’s name.” Ages 5–9. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2019-12-08
Miriam is pivotal in the story of Moses and the Exodus.

A 7-year-old girl narrates the details of the day that she heeds "God's voice," places her baby brother in a basket, sets him adrift in the Nile River to save him from "Pharoah's men," and then watches as Pharoah's daughter rescues him. That baby boy will grow up to be Moses, and his sister is the prophet Miriam. In her author's note, Yolen explains that she has taken this story from Exodus and from the Midrash, tales that interpret the Torah. Miriam's story is interwoven with miracles associated with water, ranging from that basket on the Nile to the parting of the Red Sea and the life-giving water flowing from a rock that sustains the Jews wandering in the desert, but there are relatively few children's books that place her at their center. Many celebrants of the Passover Seder sing a song honoring Miriam and will welcome a book that celebrates her childhood. It is Le's illustrations that truly shine, however. The vibrant blues and oranges reflect both calm and swirling waters dotted with a multitude of plant life. Elegant storks wade in the water as hippos and crocodiles swim nearby.

This biblical tale is filled with wonder, hope, and beauty. (Picture book/religion. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews