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"Kings and Queens of the Bible" by Mary Hoffman

Author:

Mary Hoffman

Illustrator:

Christina Balit

Publisher:

Holt, 2008

Even for those readers with little or no connection to the Bible, this picture book deserves attention because of the sumptuous art by Balit. It accompanies and often predominates on every opening of the concise (three to six pp) retellings of the lives of four men and three women. Using a rather mannered, semi-abstract style, Balit employs clear, bright colors and repeated patterns to effectively bring to life a very different time in an unfamiliar environment.

There is certainly nothing uplifting in the stories about such characters as Queen Jezebel, whose perfidy makes her thoroughly despicable. Yet the stories illuminate these powerful rulers, who often disregarding the lives of the less powerful, and thus fell into conflict with God and his more faithful believers. Consequences for this were many and varied. Fans of Hoffman’s writing might want to dive into a much longer treatment (297 pp) and once again, a time and place unfamiliar to many readers: Umbria, Italy, in 1316. Her THE FALCONER’S KNOT (Bloomsbury 2007) explores the role of religion in life. The contrasts between the two teen protagonists, older people who complicate their lives, and the men and women in monastery and convent are clearly and convincingly drawn.