Moses

Significant events and experiences in the life of Moses are recreated via the late Hodges's (Saint George and the Dragon ) straightforward, child-friendly text in this picture-book biography. From his earliest days as an infant sent down the Nile in a bulrush basket, to his deliverance of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, Moses is portrayed as a humble man whose faith in God enabled him to be a great leader of the Jewish people. Hodges's writing succeeds in showing readers the adversity faced by the Israelites of biblical days in and expanding on the biblical passages, but does not offer any additional illumination of what Moses' personality may have been like. Moser's (Hummingbird Nest ) handsome yet rather static watercolor portraits, featuring crisp borders and frequently dark backgrounds, are evocative of time and place. Unfortunately, they lack the verve that would better match the kinetic tone of the text. All ages. (Nov.)