Hanft and Chwast here craft a jaunty picture-book companion to their Miracles of Passover
. Hanft quickly gets to the heart of the matter in his one-page retellings of such familiar Bible stories as “Daniel in the Lion's Den” and “Jonah and the Fish” and “Noah's Ark.” He also includes such dramatic episodes as the parting of the Red Sea and the conquests of Samson and David. Each vignette includes a Bible quote and notation and is decorated with a small detail illustration. But it's Chwast's full-page-and-more compositions, rendered in creamy, pastel-toned ink-and-watercolor that stand out—literally. A number of these illustrations, in Chwast's signature comics-influenced style, appear on fold-out pages that boldly expand the scene, vertically or horizontally. Children will likely flock to this hands-on reading experience. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
