CM Magazine: The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba.

________________ CM . . . . Volume VIII Number 7 . . . . November 30, 2001

cover The Wisdom Bird: A Tale of Solomon and Sheba.
Sheldon Oberman. Illustrated by Neil Waldman.
Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mill Press, 2000.
(Distributed in Canada by Stewart House)
32 pp., cloth, $24.99.
ISBN 1-56397-816-4.
Subject Headings:
Solomon, King of Israel-Juvenile fiction.
Sheba, Queen of-Juvenile fiction.

Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8.

Review by Harriet Zaidman.

**** / 4

exerpt:

King Solomon could answer any question. He could solve any problem. Even the birds talked about his wisdom. They flew all the way to Africa, telling everyone, "King Solomon is the wisest man in the world!" They even told the Queen of Sheba, who was also very wise. Some say she was the wisest woman in the world.

Thus begins a tale of Solomon and Sheba, a story that originates in the folklore of European Jews, Israel, Yemen and East Africa. Sheldon Oberman, Winnipeg author and story teller, has done an admirable job of blending the folklore of Europe and different versions of Solomon and Sheba from Africa to produce a story of what real wisdom is. Neil Waldman's tasteful illustrations are a treat to study.

Sheba decides to visit King Solomon, who is known as the wisest man in the world. She challenges him to build her a palace out of bird beaks, and he accepts. All the birds in the world respond to Solomon's command to come to Jerusalem, save one, the hoopoe bird. Solomon is furious that he has not been obeyed. But the bird says he was delayed searching for three questions for which the king did not have an answer. The king is intrigued and agrees to delay the hoopoe's punishment until he has tested the bird's riddles. He answers them all correctly, but he finds that each answer causes him to reflect upon his actions. His urge to fulfill Sheba's request has caused him to forget his wisdom. He overcomes his pride to realize that his true power will be found in resisting his own impulses. Solomon realizes that he must respect the needs of others - the birds - to set an example for others. Sheba understands and appreciates Solomon's decision. Together, they reward the hoopoe bird with a golden crown that it wears to this day. The story ends with the important lesson:

From that day on, every hoopoe bird was born with a crown of golden feathers. So it was and so it is. And so the whole world can see and understand that no matter who we are, we all have great things to learn, even from a little bird.

The beautiful illustrations recreate the ancient setting of the story. Children will find themselves studying the designs, the shapes, and colours. Muted mid-eastern and geometric designs frame the text and richly coloured acrylic paintings. Since the plot does not have much action, illustrator Neil Waldman uses close-ups to intimate the deep thought and reflection of the king, queen and the birds, inviting the reader into the relationship between the characters. The picture used for the dust jacket represents the lesson learned: the wise leaders look upon the small bird which teaches them their valuable lesson.

The Wisdom Bird will be a welcome addition to any school collection, or form a favorite part of a child's home library. For more information on this book, visit Oberman's web site at: http://www.sheldonoberman.com/.

Highly Recommended.

Harriet Zaidman is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

NEXT REVIEW |TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - November 30, 2001.