Review of Yosef’s Dream
“My people had lived in Ethiopia for thousands of years, but were still seen as strangers, for we were Jewish.” Yosef and his family reside in Ethiopia, part of a historically isolated and repressed Jewish culture. The author fluidly juxtaposes the Ethiopian landscape and heritage alongside their Jewish traditions through rich textual descriptions and beautiful watercolor-inspired illustrations. Later in the story, Yosef becomes trapped in a hole and dreams of talking animals, which each represent different paths for his family to take, and nicely foreshadow their eventual journey with a “soaring eagle”—the plane they eventually take to their new home in Israel. The author’s note at the close of the story ties it all together, explaining how Ethiopian Jews lived in beleaguered isolation before the Ethiopian government and the Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia came to a groundbreaking agreement allowing scores of Ethiopians to resettle in Israel, which inspired this story. This tale of courage and hope is a beautiful mix of history, religion, culture, and the power of dreams.
Yosef’s Dream. Rouss, Sylvia (Author) and Naim, Asher (Author) , Blumenfeld, Tamar (Illustrator) Aug 2016. 36 p. Behrman/Apples & Honey, hardcover, $17.95. (9781681155067).
From Booklist, October 2016 Booklist is a book-review magazine that has been published by the American Library Association for more than 100 years, and is widely viewed as offering the most reliable reviews to help libraries decide what to buy and to help library patrons and students decide what to read, view, or listen to.