The Wailing Wall

Fisher has created a simple yet dramatic history of the Jewish people in Palestine, using the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem as his focus. The Western, or Wailing, Wall is actually the remains of the Second Temple (built nearly 2500 years ago). The Wall also stands above the remains of the First Temple (built 450 years before). To contemporary Jews, these ancient stones are sacred. Fisher masterfully telescopes almost 4000 years of history (emphasizing the events before 70 B.C.E.) into this brief, stirring picture book. In the handsome style and black and white tones now familiar from books like The Great Wall of China , Fisher portrays spiritual meaning and the history of conflict through the image of this wall. Included is a chronology from 1900 B.C.E. through 1967 as well as an excellent map. Ages 6-10. (Sept.)